Pondering

With children's birthdays, comes time to think about how life flies by without us even realising.

With both of my girls having birthdays in March it really hits me all at once. By the end of next month, I will be the mother of an 11 year old & a teenager.

I am waaaayyyyy too young to be the mother of either.

I am still trying to figure out who I am yet I am watching my daughters grow so quickly that it is a little frightening.

How can I help them decide on what they want to be when they grow up, what subjects that want to study to help them get closer to their goals when at 32 (ouch, that hurt), I am still trying to figure out what I want to do.

I was only 19 when I gave birth to Kiara & Georgia was born just a few months after my 21st birthday. They were the 2 most incredible things to ever happen in my life.

I know that because of having children so early , that I grew up a lot quicker than most.

Now don’t get me wrong, I would not have changed a thing. I have 2 incredibly beautiful, smart, thoughtful children who make my heart burst with pride every day.

The thing is that I know that it will only be a few years until Kiara is begging me for driving lessons & Georgia will be saying that it is not fair that Kiara gets to go to parties & she is never allowed to do anything. I know that it will only be a few years & Kiara will replace her love of sports with a fascination for boys.

It all just seems to be moving too fast.

Those little babies with their bright blue eyes who looked at me with the most utmost confidence that I would protect them, they have grown & I know that I have to let them.

Kiara is already making the most grown up of decisions. She has already faced peer pressure & walked away with such confidence that makes me envious.

Georgia is showing that she is growing up as well. She has had a tough couple of years dealing with her Daddy being away so much & I am so thankful to her fabulous teacher who has made her see that she has someone on her side.

He is the most wonderful teacher. He was also Kiara’s teacher last year & I know that I have him to thank for making Kiara do her best & expect nothing less. I don’t know if he realises just what he does for kids. He shies away from any recognition of his hard work. Although, he seems to enjoy his job as a teacher so much that he probably does not even look at it as work.

Having a great teacher in my kids lives helps so much.

It is just like the saying

It takes a village to raise a child

For the last 6 years, I have raised my girls by myself. With hubby away most of the time & our families moving away, it has been really hard. I know that our families say that they are only a phone call away but that does not replace “being there”.

I know that with the help of a fabulous teacher, the job is not quite as hard as it has been.

I know that my girls & I are incredibly close, closer than most Mothers & daughters. We have an incredible bond because they know how hard it is for all 3 of us. We don’t live a life of roses, we also get stung by the thorns. They do know however, that I am their Mother & they treat me with incredible respect. I am not talking about keep their rooms clean or putting their clothes away, I mean the fact that they do not raise their voice at me, they do not speak to me in a harsh way, they respect me & I respect the fact that they are growing. I give them their freedom but I give it to them in ways that I know they can handle. I let them choose their own style, their haircuts, the music they listen to, I let them be themselves.

However, I control the important things in their lives. I do a drive past of any new friends house before I will agree to let them go. Kiara has now learnt what is ok & what is not. We will drive past a new friends house & she will now say that she doesn’t think it is a good idea. You can just tell. I have taught her enough that she now knows her own gut instinct is the right way to go. I am so glad that she has all that figured out before she is a teenager next month. One thing that I have learnt is that teaching your children that their intuition is the most important thing that they should ever listen to. She not only knows right from wrong but she can now feel it.

I really believe that you have to pick your battles with children. Who cares if they don’t like the same food as you when they are little kids. I can promise you that as they get older, they will eat. They will get hungry. If they want to eat mac & cheese every night, let them. Trust me when I say that one day, might be weeks or months, they will get bored. They will then try something new.  Who cares if they only want to dress in a princess dress or only wear a superman cape & shorts. Is it really worth fighting with them about?

I can promise you that when they are the same age as my kids are now, you will wish that you didn’t spend so long fighting over the little things. The little things are nothing in the grand scheme of things. Some days now, my girls will drive me completely bonkers. They leave mess everywhere, I have to ask 5 times for them to clean the dishwasher. I have to remind them 20 times to turn off the light when they walk out of the room. But I have learnt that yelling at them does not work, getting mad at them does not work. I pick my battles. When one of them has mowed the lawn for me, who cares if they have left their shoes in the hallway……..they just mowed the lawn! Not because they have to do but because they know that I have to do it every week & they want to do something nice for me. Who cares if they have left a plate on the sink instead of putting it in the dishwasher…they just did their homework without being asked & were so proud that they came to show you their work.

I really believe that you need to pick your battles. If you are always hard on your children & yelling at them constantly, they will tune out & you are wasting you time & energy.

I can tell you that we have so many fun times in my house. We can have hours of giggling, laughing & joking. We have some incredibly hard times as well. But when we laugh together, the bad stuff disappears.

I will cherish all the years that I have been able to listen to them laugh. As some of you know, I have a hearing disability & I am gradually losing my hearing. I don’t know what I will do when I can no longer hear them laugh so I make the most of it now so that I will have the memory forever.

Today, if you do just one thing, laugh with your kids.

Trust me, it is priceless

Paris goodie bags, no lollies allowed! But they will love them!

Here are the Dinner in Paris goodies bags for Georgia’s 2 friends to take home after the sleepover.

From left to right.

Mechanical pencil, Shabby Chic headband, Eiffel Tower earrings, Lip gloss, Flower resin ring, Face washer cup cake  with mini make up brushes, set of 3 combs & nail care kit.

The total of the contents is $10 & with only 2 girls invited, that’s not bad.

I made a few of the gifts myself.

The Shabby chic headband was quick & easy, Just a fabric yoyo with a slef covered button & sewn on to some thin black hat elastic.

I made the cupcake by rolling a face washer & placing inside a cupcake wrapper. I then just added small make up brushed to the middle of the face washer. I then made a sticker using the Paris ooh la la Party pack.

The Eiffel Tower earrings were made using charms that I brought from a discount store & the ring was made using a blank ring & resin flower (Tutorial here)

I also used the goodie bag thank you tag from the Paris ooh la la Pack & glued it on to a paper bag from a discount shop.

So the RSVP’s are in & now I just have to finish Georgia’s outfit & organise the food.

I have a lot of ideas for the food.

I can’t wait to share them with you all.

Just to let you know, I am a “no lollies in the goodie bags” type of Mum. Georgia is the type of child who as she is eating lollies, you can see the eyes widen & the hyperactivity start. I know the nightmare that comes with taking the lollies off her after a party & I have said no to goodie bags before. I think that it is an individual choice but we eat enough sweet things at the party that I would rather give gifts in the goodie bags that are going to be used & loved.

Dinner in Paris, Parisian Chic accessories and an invite (or 2)

Georgia’s “Dinner in Paris” is less than 1 week away!

She is so excited & has been talking about it non stop!

Yes, I gave in! She went to school with 2 invitations in her bag to give to her 2 best friends.

Seriously, how cute are these invites!

We laminated the invite & the ticket to Paris so that they survive a day in a school bag.

I found a whole Paris themed party pack on Etsy that you buy the PDF file, it is sent to you via email & you print off how many you need.

Paris Ooh la la Party pack

When Georgia saw this she had a pink fit!

With the exchange rate, it cost less than $10!! Bargain!

I can’t wait to decorate the whole back patio with all of this.

I thought that for a great Dinner in Paris, you must have the right accessories.

I have just finished making these for Georgia to wear on her big night.

The fabric is called Georgia Love so it was meant to be!

Every girls has to wear pearls & lace when in Paris, right?

Now she has a faux pearl necklace with detachable shabby chic flower brooch.

A shabby chic yoyo headband.

And a shabby chic ring.

I think this party will be all of her dreams come true.

Well, I am off to finish watch the Oscars & make some party bag favours for her friends.

I know I said that I banned kids parties years ago, but 2 friends isn’t really a party, right?

Sunday snapshots

Painting some glass vases for the “Dinner in Paris” next weekend.

The newest version of planking!

Georgia must be going a little crazy from all the rainy weather & decided to put on a wetsuit.

Just what everyone should do, surf on the kitchen bench!!

Crazy!

Kiara cooked bacon & egg sandwiches for brunch.

Oh so yummy!!!

I have been working on Georgia’s shabby chic quilt for her birthday.

While hanging out the washing, I came to the realisation that when the weather is grey, I wear a lot of grey! And stripes it seems!

Friends come in all shapes and sizes

What type of friends do you have & what type of friends do you like?

We all need friends for different reasons.

I have all different varieties of friends.

My closest friends are actually the ones that I know are there but we give each other space. I think that it is a little like love. You have to give each other space in order to grow closer.

They are the ones that I call my best friends. We have been friends since we were kids. We have kids around the same age & we are at the same stage of life. We have all been married for many years, we are going through or about to go through those teenage years with our kids. We always have & always will be there for each other. They are my life long friends.

Many of them have moved away for work reasons & some have even moved back. Those that visit when in town know that my door is always open for them. I miss them more than anything when it can be months & even years between visits but I know that we will always be apart of each others lives for ever.

Then there is what I call the “every day friends”. You see them at the school when you drop the kids off, you wave & have a chat if you bump into them at the shops. You have kids that have a friendship with each other & you become friends with each other.  You like to be friends with them because it is a way of social interaction without getting too caught up in each others business.

Then there is the “new friends”. People who you have met through work, sports, etc. Sometimes it is a friendship that grows without you even knowing. You have not known them very long but you feel like you have known them forever.

Now, we even have “social media friends”. They are the newest form of friends. You may never meet these friends but they are always there. You just have to log on to find them. They may have been friendships formed through Facebook, blogs, etc. You have something in common with these friends. You either bond through hobbies, interests or through talking about everyday things. I have made a lot of these friends over the past 12 months who sometimes know me better than I know myself!

Then there are “those friends”. We all have them. Those friends who throw themselves into your life & you have no idea how they did. They do not know boundaries. They are all too smothering. They are always there, always trying to be more involved in your life than you wanted. They think that they are your only friend. They want to tell you everything about their lives. You have nothing in common with them but they still think that they are the biggest thing in your life. They want you to spend all of your spare time with them  & somehow they start making decisions for you. They tell you that you are going to do something with them but they don’t ask. You know that they do not have power over you but they some how become so controlling that it is easier to give in. When you do say that you are busy or it is not a good time, they get upset.

I personally think that it is time for me to stand up to those friends. Tell them that no is my choice.

I tell my daughters when I can see that a friend is not being a true friend to them so now I am taking my own advice. I tell them to let someone know when they are being too smothering. I am now taking my own advice.

Life is busy, life changes for day to day & moment to moment.

Who cares if you are busy or not, we shouldn't have to spend time doing anything if we don't want to. Why do we feel as though we have to make excuses. Maybe I should just say, "No, I don't want to."

I will no longer feel guilty for saying no because they did not feel sorry for being controlling. I am so mad at myself to think that I have let people affect my life like this & make me feel like this.

I will cherish those friends who do not question our friendship & they never need to ask if they have done something wrong because I have said I can't make it to something or do something with them. They know my life & I know theirs. We amy go months without speaking but it also means that we have a lot to catch up on when we next speak. There is no awkward silences.

A scarf swap, you don’t need to be able to sew.

Here is Australia, we know that winter is just around the corner.

My fave thing about winter is scarves & boots.

So, I have been thinking about hosting a scarf swap.

Anyone can participate.

You could buy, sew, crochet, knit…..whatever your skill.

Imagine going to your letterbox one day & finding that you have a fabulous scarf waiting for you!

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I think that to make sure that everyone ends up with a scarf that they love, each participant would need to answer a couple of questions about what they like.

So if you would like to participate, send me a quick email with your name, postal address & the answers to these quick questions.

1. What is your fave colour?

2. What are your 3 fave hobbies/interests?

Those 2 questions should be able to give your swap partner an insight into what you like.

You can give more info about what you like or don’t like to help your swap partner even more. It’s up to you but please answer those 2 questions.

email address       sewcooklaughlive@yahoo.com.au

I would like for this to be a secret swap. You will not know who has you & your person will not know who has them.

Now this is a fun swap but so that everyone gets the most out of this, there is just a couple of rules.

*you must be over 18 to participate*

*scarves must be brand new or handmade*

*all participants must have registered by the 17th of March 2012*

*all scarves must be in the mail by the 21st of April 2012*

*scarf swap is open to Australian residents with an Australian postal address*

I am giving this much time for the swap so that no one has to rush & it can be done in your spare time.

I have done a tutorial before on an easy but fabulous scarf that you can sew if you need some inspiration.

7 scarves for 7 days

Here is a few other scarf tutorials that I have found online.

{click on the pictures}

     

 

Well hello there! Have you met my fave shops before?

I am a shopping addict!

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There I said it!

Don’t worry though, my whole family knows already.

And what I love to do is support fabulous Australian businesses.

Here is some of my fave online Australian businesses..

For all your sewing needs.

For all your crafting needs

For all those needs of a holiday escape in your own home.

These businesses are run by women.

GIRL POWER!!

So go on, get your shop on!

Support some great Australian businesses & shop, shop, shop!!

{click on the above pics to take you to the online stores}

Just one of those days

Have you had one of those days?

I have them often!

This particular day was one of those days thanks to youngest diva daughter.

Let me set the picture,

it was a miserable day, raining, cold, yucky.

Husband & I decided to go shopping while the kids would be at school

Wonderful!

Nothing cheers me up like shopping!

So, we thought that we would be kind, loving parents & drop youngest diva daughter at school on our way to the shops so she didn’t get wet.

Now, youngest diva runs to her own clock.

I needed to warm the 4wd drive up so she finished getting her school stuff & locked up while hubby moved the truck.

Off we go.

We dropped her off & battled the rain, traffic & even flooded roads to get to the shops. Pull into the parking lot & I panicked!

Where are the {insert many expletives} house keys?

I knew straight away.

I told husband to ring the school (yes, we are on first name basis with the ladies in the office) & ask if youngest diva had the house keys.

He is put straight through to the class phone & wouldn’t you know it, she is the one who answers!

Husband…..”Do you have the house keys?”

Daughter….”No”

Husband…..”Are they in your bag”

Daughter…..”No”

Husband……”Did you leave them in the front door?”

Daughter…….”Yes!!!”

Husband…….”Did you even close the door?

Daughter……”No!”

So needless to say, I kept shopping while husband drove back through the flooded roads, peak hour traffic & in the pouring rain to drive 30 minutes each way to go & lock the front door!!

Oh my!!

From now on, youngest diva will never be in charge of the keys again!

I honestly believe that there is not one single day in our household that is ever boring & some days, I really wish they were!

But, what can you do?

She must get her craziness from somewhere {points finger at husband}

The week that was, yay it’s Friday!

After a major life changing week, I am feeling a little happier.

Not happy that my husband has just hopped back in the truck after only one night at home & will be away for a week again, but I feel as though things are looking up.

I know that he has heard me. I know that he feels my pain & loneliness.

After so many years, I think he finally gets it.

Fingers crossed that his work gets it too.

But anyway, lets get back to a happier place.

I said that I wanted to take my blog in a new direction & I will be.

One thing that I have wanted to bring to the blog is more fashion. Since the day I started blogging, I have wanted to do fashion posts.

Fashion for all.

I would say that I have a pretty “normal” body shape.

I am definitely not supermodel sized.

I am me & I am probably the same size as a lot of you.

I have boobs, I have a bum & I definitely have great childbearing hips.

I am in my early 30’s & have had 2 kids.

Considering that they are both nearly teenagers, maybe I should lose the saying of “I still have baby weight to lose”.

Seriously???

Who am I kidding!

This is me.

This year I have done very well in my “change of food ideas” journey.

I don’t like to call it a “diet”. I mean seriously, the word DIE is in DIET. That freaks me.

I have lost over 8 kilos since banning all pre packaged food & making takeaway a once in a blue moon treat.

YAY FOR ME!!!!

I love the feeling that my clothes are no longer tight & uncomfortable. I feel fabulous in my jeans & that is great with winter around the corner.

So today, I wore those skinny jeans that didn’t feel comfortable last winter. It was cool & rainy here so I picked the right day.

Today was shopping day so this outfit was perfect.

It was comfy yet had the bling that I love so much!

I love ballet flats!

This white rose ring is one that I made.

You can find the tutorial

HERE

I always have an arm full of bracelets & today was black & silver to match the shoes.

I can not leave the house without my Guess watch which was my birthday & wedding anniversary present from my husband last year.

Do you have a fave shopping outfit?

Well, this weekend I am hitting the sewing machines & getting my sew-jo (mojo) back so look out next week for some sewing posts.

Proud Mummy moment!! A drivers license but it’s not what you think!

Ok, I may have a tear in my eye!

My eldest diva daughter has just made the proudest Mummy ever!

She got her license!!

What???? I hear you say!

But she is not 13 yet, how can she have a license????

This is her license!

Her Sewing Machine Driver License!!

Oh be still my beating heart!

Now, for those of you who are regular followers of this blog you will know that Kiara has been sewing for quite some time.

Yes, she does have her own sewing machine.

Yes, she does make a lot of really cool things but this is proof that something that I did for her earlier this year was the right thing.

Now, she started High school this year & last year she had to decide on her subjects.

For some strange reason she decided that she did not want to do home economics.

WHAT????

She decided that she wanted to do Agricultural Science so she could play with the little animals.

I am sure that some of you are saying, So?

Well, Kiara was so traumatised after watching Free Willy that she tears up when we even mention it.

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She cried for days after watching Marley & Me

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Maybe, just maybe, Agricultural Science was not such a good idea for her.

They have a working farm at her school & not everything is all happy & sweet about a working farm. there is no way she could stick a thermometer……….ok, you get the picture!

So, I went behind Kiara’s back & rang the Principal & had her subjects changed.

She was not happy.

But now she is!!!!

She has even said that it was the best thing for me to have changed her subjects.

Now, I know I really did the right thing by being a pushy, overbearing, smothering hands on Mum who knows my daughter better than she thinks!

What I have been pinning

So, youngest diva daughter is having her 11th birthday in under 2 weeks!!

I don’t know what is worse the fact that my youngest diva is 11 or that I am going to be the Mother of an 11 year old!!

I have to let you all know something, I banned birthday parties a long time ago.

Shock horror!

I can hear some of you gasping.

Have you ever stopped to think about how much a party with, lets say, 10 kids costs?

A lot!

We have done the party at home, the party at a park, the party at a fast food place & been to every type of party known to man.

It either costs a small fortune to have the party at a venue or you spend 2 days cooking & preparing & 2 days cleaning.

You always have a kid who ends up crying, a kid who eats way to much & doesn’t feel so well, a Mother or 5 who sit around chatting while you are running around after their little monster cherub, a kid at school who is upset they didn’t get invited & yes, we have even had kids turn up who were not invited or kids turn up who’s parents did not RSVP. One year we had 5 turn up who did not RSVP then complained that their monsters did not get a party bag. (WTF???)

And I also know how much it costs us per year in birthday presents for other kids.

I have to say that my kids get just as much enjoyment out of a special family dinner at home.

We make it a dinner party for just us & if there is any other family visiting, they join in too.

Youngest diva daughter has decided that she would like to have a “Dinner in Paris” dinner party.

Now lets make one thing clear, we are definitely not flying to Paris.

Youngest diva wants to be surprised when she walks out to our back patio with Paris at our house.

So last night, I got pinning on

Pinterest

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I have a pink hand dyed crochet tablecloth that would suit perfectly!

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So, now I have a few ideas & I am working on her Paris Chic outfit.

I have a stack of fairy lights to really set the mood & I just need to find some French music.

So, I know that some people may say that you have to have a kids party but trust me, this dinner party will be exactly what Youngest Diva wants.

No more photo’s please, you must pay me first

Ok, so it appears that we have a diva in the house.

{I have been informed that this is not a rude gesture as we grew up using but a I’m so cool, peace is sideways gesture}

After posting a photo of eldest diva on Facebook, she was asleep 30 minutes after getting home from school with a cup of milo in her hand sitting up in the lounge chair,

I have now scored myself a new job!!

Woohoo!!

I am eldest diva’s new manager/agent!

She told me that I must have her permission before taking a photo of her or using a photo of her in any way shape or form.

{note orange palms from a Fake Tan Episode}

Well, let me tell you something Miss Eldest Diva.

You are not an adult, so I have to get permission from your parent.

HELLO????

Yes, I am your parent.

So, I asked myself if it was ok if I took photo’s of Eldest Diva daughter?

Why sure, I responded.

I mean you did carry this child for 9 months in your belly.

You do have permanent reminders of this through the maze of stretch marks on said belly.

You have feed, bathed, dresses & even wiped the bum of the said Eldest Diva Daughter.

You have fought with this child for many years when she was a toddler as she want to be naked in every photo that was ever taken of her.

You have done everything for this child & now she doesn’t want you to have any photo’s of her?

Well, I am now the Manager of Eldest Diva Daughter.

As I now have to act as her agent for her mother to gain permission to take photo’s of her eldest child, the love of her life, the apple of her eye….you get the picture, I now get 10% of all of her pocket money.

10% is a fair fee for a manage/agent, right?

*Please note; Eldest Diva was paid one choc coated ice-cream for these photo’s*

Enter at your own risk, unattended children will be given……

Ok, so we all know that I am taking my blog in a new direction. I am still doing all of my regular posts on cooking & sewing but I am also going to give you a little more insight into my crazy life.

Yes, I really do mean crazy.

Some crazy shit happens in my house.

Especially with unattended children.

As some of the Facebook followers of this blog already know.

Yesterday was especially crazy.

Not just your typical “Oh that’s a little weird” but the “OH MY GOD DID YOU REALLY DO THAT????” crazy.

It started like this……

I walked into the lounge room at 7am to see Georgia putting her shoes on. Not so bad I hear you say. It was a little peculiar to see her doing it with the aid of this….

Yes, a headlamp. Just what every girl need to put her shoes on.

Do I hear you say, “But that’s not THAT bad.”

But oh, it gets worse, a lot worse!!

I had a friend come around. He is starting his own blog & had some questions. He had his fiancée's 4 year old son with him so I set up the kids TV channels, gave him a Fluffy Chickadees Cookie to eat & we had a cuppa while discussing the blog. Now it was an un-announced visit. Just after school drop off so my house was looking like a bomb had gone off in all kinds of disarray. I had been cutting some things out for a project to be done on the blog at a later date & of course I had been using my brand new super sharp dressmaking scissors that I had been given for Valentines day/our anniversary.

Can you guess?

I was getting dinner ready that night & I got a phone call from said friends fiancée to inform me that her son had given himself an oh my god fabulous new haircut with my super sharp scissors. She had noticed it while sitting across from him at the dinner table & of course it was a very noticeable hair cut.

Now, that is not where the crazy shit ends.

So I was happily pinning away on Pinterest when I over heard a conversation that went a little like this…

Kiara…”George, did you just put that on your face?”

George….”I always put it on my face”

Kiara…..”You idiot!!”

I look over to the lounge to see both girls have been applying fake tan.

Yep, you guessed it.

Georgia had not only applied dark skin fake tan to her lily white fair skin but also applied it quite liberally to her face.

{all while on the lounge don’t forget!! Lucky it is not white!}

Into the bathroom we went for a major wash & scrub.

She had taken on a yellow glow so I was really worried that she would be a horrible shade of orange this morning.

She announces this morning while walking down the hallway.

“It’s ok everybody, I am NOT orange” with a wave of her hands that ended up on her hips as to say, “See, I knew what I was doing.”

So in all that happened yesterday there were quite a few lessons learnt.

*The new must have accessory is a head lamp*

*If you come to my house un-announced your children WILL give themselves a free haircut*

*My house is not & will not be small children, toddler or baby proof as I do not have small children, toddlers or babies*

*24hrs prior notice should be given before turning up at my house*

*All children who do not live in my house need to be supervised at all times by the adult who brought them*

*I have enough problems keeping my own kids under control that throwing more kids into it, does not make it any easier*

*If your kids do something crazy at my house, I will write about it on my blog*

*I have many pins, scissors, cutting implements in my house & my children have outgrown the need to experiment with them so I do not put them in locked cabinets*

*Georgia is the craziest child that I have ever met but I love her so much for making my life so hilarious*

*Fake tan should be kept in a locked cabinet because crazy children will scale the bathtub to get to a high shelf to find it*

*I am so glad that Kiara is a quiet, sensible & very smart child (most days) because I only have the energy for one crazy child*

* You have to laugh when kids do something crazy. Don’t let them see you laugh but sneak away to the laundry, close the door & laugh.*

*Kids will be kids*

The most important thing that I found out was

*I NEED A HOLIDAY*