Human Rights Commission case closed
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Today we received the final decision from the Australian Human Rights Commission re my complaint. To cut to the chase, under their jurisdiction the complaint is considered resolved because my husband was finally granted a visa. This is not the Commission’s fault – under their powers it seems that is all they can do. I can’t say I am surprised, but I am disappointed. Not disappointed in the AHRC, I am disappointed this is all that can be done.
Computer Viruses and Motherhood
The joys of having an as yet non-technical family. Mr O has an old laptop that we had raised from the dead due to the increased number of users in the house.
He asked me to look at it as it wasn’t working very well. No, it wasn’t. I spent five hours last night cleaning about 20 trojan and other viruses off it. PC Tools Internet Security to the rescue! I installed Registry Mechanic while I was at it. I actually had to install the software in Safe Mode as one of the viruses had taken such control of the machine I was prevented from installing in Normal Mode! Oh, the fun! 
Organising Team Oyeniyi
Organisation seems to be a common theme recently. Ten days ago I visited Integrated Memoirs and read a very simple idea on Honey…. Would you…? which I have adopted. A couple of days later, Momfog was publishing her determination to organise her household in The Momfog Manifesto. Momfog has one more than we do, so I empathise! Luckily ours walk to school, two to the left and two to the right at the end of the driveway so I don’t have the added chaos of trying to drive everyone everywhere in the mornings.
A blank sheet! Doesn't stay that way!
Taking Integrated Memoirs idea a step further, I drafted up a sheet for our use!
Why do this? Several reasons really:
- We have a smallish washing machine (hey, I was one person!)
- We do not have much line space in this place (dryer by next winter, I think)
- I was sick of, like Momfog, spending most of the weekend doing housework (or organising housework to be done)
- The “I forgot” syndrome mentioned in Funny Things Kids Do
We implemented this last week and it worked well. We got to the end of the week and all the beds (except ours *sigh*) have had a linen change! The kids did try the same excuse I’d heard many years ago from the older “little monsters” (thank you Lady Gaga):
Mums are allowed to brag about their kids!
I think this places me firmly in the “Mom Blog” category, at least for this article!
All the children are doing really well at school: Miss O 1 received this in one of her workbooks this week! Bear in mind Miss O 1 has been in an Australian school less than two months, so we are very proud of her efforts. She has the hardest job of all four, as she starts her tough years at the beginning of next year, those are the two years that will determine her university entrance. The younger ones have more time. Go get ‘em, Miss O 1!!
Excellent Work
Thankful for what we have
As regular readers know I have complained, some might say somewhat loudly, about our dramas over the last few years. The last two days have both had small, but important milestones. Last night Mr O reversed out of our driveway cleanly in one go! This was a major step in the learning to drive progress stakes, as we have one of the nastiest driveways in Melbourne. The second milestone was Miss O 1 went to her first party in Australia! She is there as I type. As I wait for the time to resume my second job as “Mum’s taxi service”, I was catching up on some reading.
I came across two articles by authors I read regularly that reminded me how lucky we really are, despite our battle. That battle was a temporary situation and yes, it is taking us a while to recover from the fallout, but we are getting there. These people have much bigger and life-long battles.
School has changed!
Image via Wikipedia
I accept it is a while since I had children at school and back then I had fewer of them at school. Exactly half as many, in fact.
The amount of paperwork/notes that come home for this, that and the next thing astound me!
Currently I have notices for:
- Bat Tennis Bat Sale x 2.
- Grades 3 – 6 House Athletics Sports x 2.
- Parent Information Session “Anxiety in Children” (we previously received one for Cyber Safety, another good idea for parents).
- Bush Dance, $35 for a family of 2 adults and 3 children – not sure what I do with the 4th.
- Excursion for Miss O 2 – $25.
- A greening programme requesting plant/seed donations.
- A bicycle learning thing for Mr O Jnr 2 requiring him to take a bike he doesn’t have, which he says is compulsory – I told him to tell the teacher she is welcome to buy him a bike if she likes! Cycling is seeing a resugence since Australian Cadel Evans won the 2011 Tour de France.
- A notice about a trip to the Immigration Museum with a fish and chip lunch – I’m told the fish and chips are $10 – did he order the whole menu?
Roast Lamb and Gravy
We’ve had a major food win! Nigerians LOVE lamb, as do New Zealanders, so roast lamb has been a Sunday staple. However, Mr O and I have had some difficulty convincing the children that homemade gravy is a good thing.
Yes, that is right, all you cooks of mouth-watering dishes that I read about. I did indeed say home-made gray. Gravox or other canned/bottled/powered versions of gravy will never be served at my dining table!
Going back for more
Why the sudden win? Miss O 1 actually watched me make it and realised it was made from the juices of the roast. Of course, I had not realised that the children didn’t know this was how I made the gravy! Communication sadly lacking, clearly! I discovered they even call it gravy in Nigeria as well.
I recently bought a stunning, posh, Masterchef-type “Scanpan“ roasting dish and I have to say it is worth every cent dollar. The meat and vegetables just come out perfect every time (although let’s face it, it is pretty difficult to wreck a roast).
ScanPan - mine has a rack as well
I am reminded of Pip’s recent Portuguese Custard trials and also of my mother’s gravy battle. Mum could never make good gravy, despite my father’s repeated lessons. Being a bit of a perfectionist, I determined I was NEVER going to make lumpy gravy – and to date I never have!
