Nicole Flockton

Be whatever you want to be.

25 August 2006

Proud Aunty

Well I'm feeling pretty proud of my 16 year old nephew at the moment. Benjamin is the second son of my eldest sister. He is also the middle child. We've all heard about the middle child syndrome. Well Benjamin doesn't suffer from that because he's found something that he excels in. Something he has been doing for over 10 years and that is Karate.

With his karate journey he has made two trips to Japan and consistently over the last few years has made the West Australian team for the National competitions.

At the moment he has been away for nearly two weeks and has competed in two major Australian championships, each run by different national organisations.

His current tally is 3 1st places, two as individual events and one as a team event. Two second places and one third place. It's just fabulous how well he is doing this trip.

So he may be the middle child but he is certainly not going to grumble about that. Go B!!!


JN

15 August 2006

Aww Kid Moments

As a mother don't you just love those "aww" moments. I've had a couple recently which just melt your heart.

There are times when you could cheerfully throttle your child (and I mean that in the nicest way) especially when they keep testing the boundaries and ask you the same question over and over and over and over again.

So the first 'aww' moment was on Saturday. I was putting Zane in the car to take him to the doctor. He had a sore ear the week before and so we were just going to see if it was looking better.

I'm leaning over him to click his seatbelt in and he looks at me and goes "I love you". All together now. "AWWWWWW" LOL I always say it to him as I put him into bed. So for him to come out and spontaneously say it was so cool! Apparently he'd been saying it to Jason too. So now when I say it to him he says it back!

Then tonight I was driving home after picking Skylar up from my sister's house. My folks have been sick with bad colds the past two days so they haven't been able to have Skylar. Step up to the plate my sister!! She's been great and I really am fortunate that I have a great support not only from her but from my sister in law and niece who had to have Skylar on short notice yesterday! I am truly blessed with a wonderful family.

But the "Aww" moment came when a song came on the radio. I hear this voice in the background singing heartily along to the song. The song was by Ashlee Simpson. It was her 'Boyfriend' song. LOL It's so cool to hear her sing.

Skylar has been so good she has taken to the change of her routine, with my sister taking her to school, so well. For a 4 year old she is really mature and I just love her to bits that she accepts these changes.

Now to stop the kid gushing! LOL

But I will attach a couple of cute pictures of them.
















JN

12 August 2006

The Blog Year in Review

Well it's been 12 months since I started my blog. So on review what has happened of significance in the last year.

  • Just after I started blogging my uncle died. It's hard to imagine that he has been gone a year. Is it bad not to constantly think about a loved one that has passed on? I mean he was my uncle and we weren't that close so I guess in a way I don't have to think about him every day. But I know he is in a happy place.
  • I made the decision to start working full time. Boy I'm now finding that it is hard slog working everyday. Getting up at 5.15am, leaving at 7am and getting home aroun 6.15pm. Boy does the mother guilt kick in big time when I think about the lack of time I now spend with the kids.
  • A month after blogging commenced we finally got the keys to our new house and moved in. There is still a lot to be completed around the house and I despair that it will never get done. We had such high hopes on having the house fully completed before we moved in. Unfortunately they took a long time to build. So we achieved the completion of the inside of the house but the outside is still a major work in progress. But we are here and it's great.
  • Christmas and New Year came and went with all the usual excitement and fun. Plus it was the first christmas in the new house so that was cool. Christmas day here was a big success.
  • School starts, let the mother guilt kick in again. I took time off to take Skylar to school for the first two days and then life presented us with a fork in the road. Jason gets made redundant. Step in my wonderful parents. Not only do they take Skylar to school every day but they pick her up as well. My parents and sister in law have been wonderful in having her after school during the week. Not to mention my sister who steps up to the plate when my parents can't take her. Each day I have the opportunity to take Skylar to school I do and every time I wish I could keep on doing it. Not yet but I know I'm going to have to make alternative arrangements soon. Can't keep relying on my folks. They aren't getting any younger.
  • I enter a writing competition. Wow huge step for me in looking towards putting my work out there. Still get green with envy with every call story I read but I'm never even going to get a rejection let alone a sale if I dont actually submit. So currently working on another competition which requires the first 3 chapters of my WIP. When they are competition ready I think that will be the time to submit as well.
  • Jason has another career change just last month, but its a good one. He is in the industry he has been studying for, for the last 2 years. Positive move onto bigger and better things for him.
  • And on a lighter note, volunteer to coach my niece's netball team after her coach lets them down. Only had one victory in my 5 games of coaching. Only have another 2 games before the season ends. I enjoy it, just wish I could take the training but doesn't fit in with work. Maybe next year......
So they are the really major things that have happened in the past year. But do you know what, that is the past why dwell on that. The future is clear, each day is a brand new beginning. Sure you are bound to make mistakes. You should have painted a straight line but you drew a squiggle instead. All I know is that my life is rich and fulfilled with my hubby and my kids and my family. And each of them fill my particular easel with love and joy.

So it's been a year of blogging, but I'm here for another year and God willing quite a few years after that.

JN

03 August 2006

Book Challenge - 54 - 56

Had some thought about doing a deep and meaningful blog but now, can't be bothered. Maybe tomorrow LOL

So I'll just go for a boring old book review blog. I will become more enlightening one day, well I hope too. Hope to have scads of people signing on just to read my pearls of wisdom.

Hmm been at this almost a year and so far haven't had too many 'pearls' and don't have scads of people coming to read. LOL One can dream can't they???

But anyway onto the reviews.

Book 54 – Sale or Return Bride by Sarah Morgan – Presents/Modern/Sexy

This was a great, great book. I loved it. It reminded me of why I totally, totally love Presents.

We had Sebastien who is our Greek Alpha Hero and we have Alesia who is our strong heroine.

Alesia’s grandfather, Dimitrios, blackmails her into marrying Sebastien. She needs money for her mother’s surgery and Dimitrios will give Sebastien back his family company. Sebastien believes there is more to this than meets the eye and only agrees to marry Alesia if he thinks she is attractive.

Dimitrios has disowned Alesia and her mother since his son has died, over 15 years ago.

Alesia is a fiery character that after a few drinks her tongue gets loosened and slips a couple of things out.

I don’t know what it was about this book but I just loved it. Whether it was because it was a marriage of convenience or Sebastien was a real Alpha but I just LOVED it. There was something in this book that truly spoke to me. Might have to pick it apart to find its little secrets.

Definitely going to be a keeper for me. It was released in the US in November last year.

Book 55 – Their High Stakes Affair by Katherine Garbera – Desire

This book is the second in Katherine’s series. I did enjoy it but life has been getting in the way lately and I just haven’t had time to do much reading. Grrrr

This story is about Scott and Raine. Raine is a tv producer and Scott is a player in a Celebrity Poker Challenge show being held at Hayden’s Las Vegas Casino hotel. Hayden was the hero in our first story. Celebrity poker shows must be all the rage.

Scott makes a bet with a fellow player that he will be able to bed Raine. Raine overhears this conversation and figures she’ll make Scott fall for her and then dump him.

Of course the plans get waylaid and they end up falling for each other. The bet comes out and Raine loses her job.

Scott has found true love and does all in his power to make Raine realise that what they share is true and real.

A nice story and one I would have finished in a quicker amount of time if only I had more time!!

Book 56 – Million-Dollar Love-Child by Sarah Morgan – Sexy/Presents/Modern

After being blown away by one of Sarah’s books I opened this with anticipation. This book is about Kimberley and Luc (love the way that is spelt possibly because my H’s name is spelt that way in my MS). Anyway they had a torrid but brief affair 7 years ago.

Kimberley turns up at Luc’s office wanting money, he in turns finds that he is still very much attracted to her and says he will give her the money if she stays with him for 2 weeks. Kimberley needs the money desperately because her son’s life is at risk, Luc’s son but he doesn’t believe her.

I did enjoy this story but not as much as her other one I recently read. Still a lot of powerful writing and I will definitely be keeping an eye out for her books in future.

JN