What At-Home Mums Do During The Day

Mondays are particularly challenging for our family.

They probably are for most people, having to switch from pleasure and do-nothing for 2 days to a mindset of school and work. At least the mums in the reading room think so.

Spent a fair amount of energy this morning trying to rouse the girls. The little one eventually woke, and in a cheery mood too, which made things easier. The 8 yo was impervious to reasoning, nagging, threats and fish-wife shouting (she knows Mummy too well). She merely burrowed deeper under the covers, and turned her back on me.

Why do I keep reverting to default mode when I know it doesn't work? I know I need to develop a new vocab just for the 8 yo, and more creative (aka devious) parenting strategies that do not involve reverse psych, cos she's too clever to be taken in any more. But it's such HARD WORK. And just when you think you have them figured out, something changes again and down the hill you go.

After reading with Beth's class and swopping plans-for-the-morning with my reading partner, I stopped at Tasman Meats in Synnot Street - still the best value meat retailer in the 'hood - and bought a week's worth of supplies.

Where I learned that there is minced beef and there is minced beef.

Just as Coles offers 3-, 4- and 5-star beef mince, TM also grades its mince. You need to read the labels carefully. It can be as cheap as $3.99/kg if you buy at least 2 kg, right up to $11.49/kg for extra lean mince.

I bought nearly $45 worth today -
1/2 kg pork mince
1/2 kg chicken leg mince
1/2 kg premium lean beef mince
1 kg chicken breast fillet with skin on ($3/kg cheaper than skin off)
1 kg gravy beef
1 pack of frozen cooked and peeled shrimp

Am boiling up a chicken carcass to make stock to cook chicken porridge. We had roast chicken for dinner last night (from Safeway) and hubby helpfully shredded the leftovers as he was making himself lunch for work, so I have plenty of shredded chicken for the porridge.

Possible menu plans for the week:

Chicken pie
Roast chicken with potatoes
Pasta
Beef stew
Fried rice with minced pork and shrimp

Have vacuumed the kitchen, swept the yard, washed the car (the first time in 4 years, not counting the manual car wash) and done some weeding. Those star-shaped weeds are VERY stubborn compared to the grasses, which come out easily. Decided against putting the newly acquired tomato plant out in the garden. Am bound to forget to water it and it will suffer the fate of all our bought plants...

Only 12.36 pm! Feel very accomplished today. \LOL/