TV break and toys

Also on the topic of TV, we've had a couple of TV free days this week. I've been relying on the tele a lot lately to keep Hamish occupied, because I've been quite tired and he was sick for a few weeks too, but I figured it was time for a rest from it.

It made for a more peaceful house, although it did mean a bit more work for me in finding things to keep him occupied. My aim is to keep TV to use as a backup when really needed, rather than part of the daily routine.

I've packed away the bulk of his toys too - the loungeroom was way too crowded with them all, and I think he was getting bored with a lot of them. Plus picking them all up at the end of each day is getting harder for me as the inside baby gets bigger! I'm going to try just getting a couple out each day, so there's less to tidy up and he can focus a bit more on one or two things at a time.

Vale, VCR

Adam and I decided to get a PlayTV for Christmas - it's a digital receiver for the Playstation 3 and allows us to record TV to the playstation, and fastforward and rewind live TV.

It only cost $125, which is far cheaper than the alternatives (Foxtel IQ or Tivo being the main ones) and we now have access to all the digital channels.

But - it means we don't really need the VCR anymore. I remember buying my first VCR back in 1996 before I headed off to uni - it was a big deal for me, partly because it was my first big purchase once I'd started working, but mainly because I was seriously into television back then.
I used to tape and keep all sorts of junk - Medivac being an example that springs to mind!

That VCR ran for years. It died a slow death - it used to freeze up and I'd have to take the lid off to get it working again. We put up with that for some time before eventually getting a new one. Even then, it was years before I could bring myself to chuck the original one in the bin.

So I feel sort of wistful and sad to pack away the VCR today. I know all technology will have its day, but this is one piece of it I am a little emotionally attached to.

Easy biscuit recipe

I've made this a few times lately, it's so easy and versatile.

125g low fat margerine
half cup sugar
1 cup flour
1 egg
Whatever else you've got that you want to chuck in!

Mix the margerine and sugar together, then add the egg. Sift in the flour and mix it all up.

Then add in whatever you want to add some flavour - I've used oats and sultanas for a healthier snack, and choc bits, cocoa and orange essence for a less healthy treat!

It makes about 20 small biscuits - which don't last all that long around here...

Advent

I've been inspired by Nicole's advent posts to think about what we're going to do in the lead up to Christmas.

An exciting part of Christmas growing up was all the food in the house - Dad would go all out to stock up on tasty treats. The loungeroom would be heaving under the weight of it all - and we'd spend the school holidays making it all disappear. Yum! So this year I think we'll do something similar, although on a smaller scale. I'll buy a few extra things each week leading up to Christmas, and then we can hoe in from 25th on.



I've got some nice Christmas choral music, including a copy of Handel's Messiah, and these will be on high rotation for the next few weeks, particularly around dinner time.



And we're doing our own advent calendar - not every day, but once a week or so Hamish and I will sit down to do some craft, and then stick it up on the wall. This is the first one:







The other ones will use these verses:

• 'We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him, the iniquity of us all' Isaiah 53:6 (Craft - cotton wool sheep)


• 'When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.' Matt 2:10 (craft - stars of course!)


• Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favour rests.' Luke 2:14 (craft - angels)


• 'For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.' John 3:16 (Craft - manger scene)

Ned Kelly

Mo Wrap

Adam finished up Movember in style. He was happy though in the end to lose the mo, as it was getting itchy!

He raised about $250 and is really grateful for everyone's support. It was lots of fun - for him and for those of us who got to watch it grow!

Iris

On The March

The cicadas are out in force at the moment. We've found quite a few shells in the garden.

I used to love collecting the shells from Grandma and Papa's place when I was a kid, I remember doing it around Christmas time and filling icecream containers with them.

Kids used to take live cicadas to school in buckets to show off their collection, until the teachers banned it. There used to be all different sorts of cicadas with funny names, like Floury Baker and Cherry Eyes. I don't know if they are all around anymore, we only see one or two varieties here.

Mo Town Update

Adam's mo is gaining ground - he's keeping it neat and tidy, and it's thickening up. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't mess with him.

Although he tells me he saw a man at work yesterday, who had a much more serious looking mo, who told him 'You need training wheels for that thing!"

Hamish was a little uncooperative this week so we resorted to technology to show what he would look like if we could get him to stay still long enough to 'grow' a mo!

Scary

Hamish has a bit of a fascination with opening and shutting doors at the moment. He goes into a room, shuts the door, then knocks on it till I open it, to his great amusement.

This evening, he shut the bathroom door.

And managed to lock it.

I was only a few feet away so I heard the click of the lock and rushed over, but couldn't open the door. He was locked in the bathroom! Aargh! I freaked out and didn't know what to do - I rattled the handle but it wouldn't budge, and Hamish started to get upset.

I ended up ringing Adam who left work straight away to come home and bust the door open. In the meantime, I stood on one side of the door telling Hamish a story to keep him calm, all the while frantically trying to get the door to open.

I realised the handle had a little hole on the outside, and pushed a hairclip in it - something clicked and the door opened. What a relief!

Hamish rushed out, not looking overly concerned. I on the other hand, burst into tears. Hamish thought I was laughing, so he joined in with hearty laughter of his own.

I saw him playing with the lock a few minutes later, so I think he must have pushed it out of curiosity. Will definitely not let him anywhere near it in the future!

Blue Food

Yesterday I made some playdo. It was super easy - I was surprised by just how easy in fact! Flour, salt, water, oil and food colouring.

Hamish enjoyed squishing it and pushing things into it...

...and of course it didn't take long for him to see what it tasted like!

(Not good, apparently.)

Silly Me

I should have known gardening with a toddler and two big dogs on the loose was a bad idea.

I dug a hole - Saffy joined in. I put the plant in the hole - she kept digging. In the same spot! So the poor plant got a bit squashed. And I had to heave her out of the flowerbed - she was very reluctant to move!

While this was going on, Hamish pulled a whole lot of little baby green tomatoes off the plant. Then he sat there biting into them, in between laughing at my attempts to move Saf.

I did get all the plants into the ground eventually, but not without a lot of huffing and puffing and telling the dog to bugger off...

The Mo - one week in

Here Comes the Mo - Day 1

Today, being 1 November, is the first day of MOVEMBER. Adam has started his mo - here he is with Hamish (who is currently mo-less but not for long!).

I think Ad's mo will be somewhat disturbing once it's a bit bigger...I don't know if you can tell from this photo but he's going for a Chopper Read style (!).

Thanks to those of you who have sponsored him already!

Halloween

The streets around our house are swarming with halloweeners - or hallo-teensters as perhaps they should be referred to. The average age of the kids seems to be at least over 10, and I find I object to the concept of giving out lollies to kids that whose ages are in double figures. It seems a little mercenary of them somehow.

And can I just say how inappropriate some of their costumes are? Particularly the girls. I haven't seen many spooky outfits - more vampy if anything. Angels, fairies and demons seem to be the go this year - and pretty racy looking ones too! Seriously - I wouldn't go knocking on strangers' doors dressed like some of these kids.

Luckily for us, we have left Ruby out the front on border patrol, so we haven't had any knocks on the door. I'm all for handing out treats to younger kids - in fact one of my favourite halloween moments was in Leichhardt a few years back, when a dad from up the road came over with some lollies, and asked us to give them to his little girls when he came around with them later that day! It was very sweet.

Baby

As most of you would already know, Adam and I are expecting our second child. And not only our second child, but our second boy! We are really looking forward to having two little men in the house, and I just feel so blessed.

Bub is due to arrive in late March, so I've got around 5 months to get ready...and to enjoy full nights sleeps!

Hamish will be 21 months old when his brother is born, and I'm basically expecting life to be quite tough for the first six months or so, if not longer - but having been through the newborn stage with Hamish I know that the hard work does pay off in the end - and that spending that time building a relationship with your child is so precious.

Movember!

Adam will be growing a mo for Movember, an event that helps raise awareness and funds for men’s health. You can view his progress, and sponsor him, at http://au.movember.com/mospace/70967/

As an incentive, here's how he could be looking at the end of the month!

Water, water everywhere...

Hamish is obsessed with water at the moment. More specifically, with drinking it. Not out of a cup (although he does do that regularly) - he's more interested in water coming out of a tap, a watering can or in a puddle on the ground!

We had a puddle on the path out the front this week and he spent quite a long time sitting in the water, putting his head down trying to suck some up. It was really funny to watch - and I think he managed to get some in the end! He also walked away with a mark on his forehead from where it kept hitting the ground, not that it seemed to worry him.

This afternoon I caught him standing under a tap in the garden, his mouth wide open trying to catch the drips. Sadly for him it wasn't turned on so it was a bit futile.

I guess it's a good obsession to have, going into summer...

No TV?

As if mothers needed something else to feel guilty about - new guidelines recommend that kids under 2 don't watch any television.

I can see that it might not be optimal for their development to spend hours in front of the screen, but we don't live in a perfect world, and I reckon TV is a Godsend some days. It has a place when used wisely.

Online vs Real Time

I've realise that, when it comes to having decent contact with adults, I've been looking in the wrong places. I've been looking to the online world of facebook and parenting forums for connection and a sense of involvement in the wider world. I've also been missing old friends, who I find it hard to keep in touch with now we don't live anywhere near each other. A phone call every couple of months isn't the same as a regular coffee together, and reading someone's facebook status is a pale shadow of the same.

I read an article the other week by someone who had given up facebook - he had 200 facebook friends, and when he cancelled his account, only 3 got in touch with him. He described the way people use facebook as 'broadcasting' which struck a nerve with me and went some way to explaining why I had been finding it so unsatisfying. It's generally a very shallow and self centred approach to keeping up with people.

Although it has its uses - I've found out via facebook over the past few weeks that four people I know have had babies, and it is good for emailing and photos. It's just if I depend on it for real connections with people, it will more often that not let me down. I usually end up feeling more lonely after spending time on it, not less.

So - I haven't really worked out yet how to move on and develop more rewarding friendships, but at least I've identified the problem! I guess I need to get to know local friends more, and get off the computer and actually ring people up. There's no substitute for actually talking with people is there!

Rewards

There are of course many rewards to spending all day with your child, and I wouldn't swap it for anything. Hamish and I have lots of fun together - he makes me laugh every day and it is a joy to see him growing, mentally and physically.

His latest discovery is that he can walk backwards, and he is taking great delight in pacing forwards, then slowly stepping back until he hits something. He does it on the ground too - crawls forward then shuffles back with a look of wonderment on his face.

He's starting to say recognisable words - up, Minnie, quack, miao, baaaaa, shoe - and our favourite - 'nummies?' Which means he wants food. I suppose it means 'yummy', and he always says it like it's a question.

Company

During a break in the wet weather this afternoon, Hamish and I went to the local park. There was a large group of people there with their kids, and after a while I got chatting to a couple of the mums.

It was great - to get out of the house, see blue sky, and to have a conversation. It made me realise how lonely it can be at home, especially when the weather is bad, I'm sick, Hamish is sick, or for any other reason we're housebound. I spend so much time these days without any adult company, and while I absolutely love being at home with Hamish, it can get challenging when I don't get much contact with other people.

I think mums are one of the more isolated groups in our culture. Our lifestyles often position us away from family (they are rarely living in the same town, let alone the same house!), we don't know our neighbours anymore, and even when you have local social circles, illness often makes them difficult to access, and there's a difference between having the occasional playdate, and sharing the real grit of daily life with someone close.

Dads are working longer hours, and up here, commuting means that for many families, they're lucky to have dad home before the kids are in bed, and so mum handles the family load largely on her own.

Having said that, being a mum provides plenty of opportunities to get out and meet people - it's just that sometimes it's a poor substitute for the community living that I think we were designed for, and that best supports a mum at home.

There's a well known saying - it takes a village to raise a child. As my friend Jane pointed out, there's a lot of villages of one out there.

*&^%#* Pantry Moths

The stupid pantry moths are back. I successfully got rid of them all about 6 months ago (I think) but they've crept back in, despite my vigilance in keeping them out.

They are in the laundry and in the kitchen, and it's really annoying. The sight of them annoys me, it bugs me to have to squash them - I apologise as I do it but really - if I don't, they'll ruin all the food!

And most of all, it annoys me because I've been doing all sorts of things to prevent their return - all foods they like are in plastic containers, I freeze things like rice and pasta when I get them to kill off any eggs, and I have moth traps in key locations. But somehow, the moths have made it back. Must start my campaign again with renewed vigour. Oh, the trials of life at home...

Daylight Savings

I love daylight savings this year, because it means that Hamish wakes up at 7.30am instead of 6.30am - so much easier to cope with, even though I know technically it's the same as before, I'm just getting to bed earlier, but psychologically it feels more manageable.

However I failed to anticipate the knock-on effect for the other end of the day - time to change our evening routine! I tried to put him to bed at 6.30pm tonight, which he was not impressed with - which is fair enough given it's an hour earlier than what he's used to. So I got him up for a bit longer. Tomorrow night I'll just aim for 7.15pm.

Sulfurous clouds and banshee winds

Everyone is talking about this dust storm aren't they! It's something never before seen in Sydney, but not so uncommon in other parts of Australia.

I recently read The Road From Coorain, by Jill Ker Conway. In it she describes a three day dust storm her family experienced on their property in far western NSW:

"One sweltering late afternoon in March, I walked out to collect wood for the stove. Glancing towards the west, I saw a terrifying sight. A vast boiling cloud was mounting in the sky, black and sulfurous yellow at the heart, varying shades of ocher red at the edges. Where I stood, the air was utterly still, but the writhing cloud was approaching silently and with great speed.

...

A dust storm usually lasts days, blotting out the sun, launching banshee winds day and night. It is dangerous to stray far from shelter, because the sand and grit lodge in one's eyes, and a visibility often reduced to a few feet can make one completely disoriented. Animals which become exhausted and lie down are often sanded over and smothered. There is nothing anyone can do but stay inside, waiting for the calm after the storm. Inside, it is stifling. Every window must be closed against the dust, which seeps relentlessly through the slightest crack. Meals are gritty and sleep elusive. Rising in the morning, one sees a perfect outline of one's body, an afterimage of white where the dust has not collected on the sheets."

Windy

I hung some washing on the line this morning, and lazily left some small socks in the bottom of the basket, thinking as it was going to be a hot day, they would dry without having to be hung up.

Later on, I went outside, and was surprised to see the socks scattered over the garden. The basket? It was nowhere to be seen! I think the wind must have picked it up and carried it who knows where - although I suspect it could be at the bottom of the pool. (I can't tell if it is or not because the water is green and murky at the moment.)

I did find something in the pool though - a big fat frog. I scooped him up in the dustpan and transferred him back to the pond.

A Crime Has Been Committed

Oh dear - this is really quite bad.

Guess what I found in the carport this afternoon?

A quite large, and quite dead, guinea-pig.

Not sure if one of our cats killed it, or just found it and dragged it home, but it's not good either way.

I had to put it in the bin, it made me want to cry. I hate the way dead animals feel. Poor thing - not a pleasant way to go.

In Honour of Fathers Day...

Here is a picture of a Cumquat tree that my dad has been looking after for me for many years - it was given to me as a present and as it is at his house, it's become part of the orchard. I'm told it looks very impressive in real life, so I'm looking forward to seeing it soon.

Happy Fathers Day, Dad - and Papa, and of course Adam!

Garden shots

Childcare

Nicole linked to these two really thought provoking posts about assessing childcare from a biblical perspective.

I like Jean's ideas about elevating motherhood over having a career, and about the church community pitching in to help struggling mums.

Exciting news today

The RTA has approved our application for exemption from the restricted vehicles rules for P platers - meaning I can drive our car! No need to sell it and buy another...and I can start putting pedal to the metal.

One small, final hurdle - need to get some p plates. We'll do that on the weekend and then I'll be set.

It was sort of surprising that they granted the exemption, but fair I think. Very exciting!

Attention Span (or lack thereof)

My attention span is shot these days. I don't know if it's because I spend too much time on the internet, flicking from screen to screen, or if life with a kid means my brain has to be constantly running three tracks at the one time , but I find it really hard to sit and focus on one thing.

I'm ok with reading, but tv and movies? It's a struggle to last more than 30 minutes without getting bored. And around the house, I get so easily distracted - between trying to get stuff done, chasing after Hamish and the menagerie, and keeping up with emails, voicemail and texts, it's a rarity for my brain to be still.

I need to work on this - only do one thing at a time! And cut back on having to be connected all the time - there's been a few articles on this recently, like this one by Mia Freeman. It's a not healthy habit, but a hard one to break.

One of my favourite bible verses is "Be still, and know that I am God" (Ps 46:10). Perhaps easier said than done, but well worth taking to heart.

Mommy?

This is an interesting rant from Pinky McKay. She writes:

I am feeling sad at seeing so many littlies propped in front of television (sure, it’s helpful to buy a few minutes to get dinner, feed the baby or have a shower but in my humble opinion it is downright neglectful to disengage from a child as he stares mindlessly at a screen for many hours of the day ).

I certainly use the TV with Hamish, but try to make sure it's not on if it doesn't need to be. Otherwise it just becomes background noise - and really, there's only so much in a day that I need to get done while Hamish is safely occupied watching the screen.

We tend to have more enjoyable days when I get on with what I need to do, and let him potter along with me from room to room. It takes patience and slows things down sometimes, but it's more fun than trying to race around, hoping his show will last long enough for me to get through my list.

Watching TV can be funny though - today he danced very enthusiastically to the Home Icecream jingle! Catchy tune that it is...

Update on Ruby

Ruby is home from the vet now - seems to be better but tired. The vet wasn't sure in the end what the problem was, but painkillers and rest fixed her up.

He was leaning towards her having received a blow to the side - not sure how that would have happened unless Saffy landed on her or something, which, let's face it - isn't exactly beyond the realms of possibility!

Media Watch

I've been watching Media Watch since the old Stuart Littlemore days, and I think the current host, Jonathan Holmes, is my favourite. He is entertaining, and fair in his analyses. It's always worth a watch.

Sick Ruby

Ruby the dog is at the vet's tonight. We had to rush her there at lunch time - I heard her throw up a few times, and called her in to see if she was ok - she was shaking a lot and couldn't walk properly.

So I called Adam home from work and we rushed around to the vets. They thought it could be a tick, or some sort of blow to the side that was causing trembling etc because of the level of pain. They weren't really sure, but have given her pain relief and valium, and will monitor her overnight.

She looked terrible, it was very upsetting to see her in so much distress. I'm glad I was home and able to notice it straight away - it seemed to hit her quite suddenly.

I hope she improves overnight.

Rip-off

We've ordered pizza for dinner, from Pizza Hut. Two pizzas are costing us $29!

Of course, if we went and picked them up instead of waiting for delivery, it would be half that amount. We don't have any valid coupons either so no savings there.

They'd better taste nice.

AND - when I rang up to order, I had to listen to a recorded message about their pasta dishes, and then actually say 'yes' or 'no' to a recorded question asking whether I wanted to order one! Talk about pushy.

Product Review #2

Again, this is something I would never have bought myself - the Brainy Baby products promote turning your child into a genius, which I think is an unhelpful and silly philosophy.

But we were given this DVD, and another similar one, and they are fantastic - made for toddlers, they keep Hamish's interest for the full 45 minute running time. There's no story - just a whole lot of little scenes of kids playing with toys and shapes, all on a theme (like the peek-a-boo game). It's strangely relaxing.

I'm so grateful that we received this - it has come in handy so often, when we need to keep Hamish occupied or when he needs to rest and sit quietly. Works every time!

Product Review #1

This is my standout, favourite cleaning product at the moment.

I'm not usually into using many products like this, they seem like a mega waste of money, but Adam got a sample for free from work, and lately it has come into it's own around here. It's extremely useful for, let me see, some totally random examples: Cleaning up cat spew from your kitchen floor; cat pee from the bathroom floor (and your shoes! Gross!); cat POO from the bath (twice); and the pièce de résistance - toddler poo from the loungeroom floor.

These are all situations where you want to grab something quickly - no mucking around! I've been keeping the chux wipes on standby as it seems most days, there's something that they are perfect for.

Chocolate maths!

Give this a go - DON'T CHEAT BY SCROLLING DOWN FIRST!

It takes less than a minute. Work this out as you read.

Be sure you don't read the bottom until you've worked it out!

1. First of all, pick the number of times a week that you would like to have chocolate (more than once but less than 10)

2. Multiply this number by 2 (just to be bold)

3. Add 5

4. Multiply it by 50 -- I'll wait while you get the calculator :)

5. If you have already had your birthday this year add 1759. If you haven't, add 1758.

6. Now subtract the four digit year that you were born. You should have a three digit number.

The first digit of this was your original number (i.e., how many times you want to have chocolate each week).

The next two numbers are...






YOUR AGE!

Grime

Gah - made an error in judgement today - tidied up the bathroom, getting rid of most of the clutter around the bath - and now can see all the grime in its place!

Will now have to clean it up...which needed doing anyway, but was easier to ignore before.

Albums

I've been buying a few albums on iTunes these last few weeks - here are my most recent purchases:

It's always a bit of a risk buying an album - you never know if it will turn out that the songs you liked on the radio (and on the basis of which, you bought the album) are the only ones you like!

But with these three, I haven't had that problem - they are all good albums. They are growing on me each time I listen to them, and all have catchy tunes that stick in my head.

What have you been listening to lately?

Bees

The bees are busy this morning, the garden is full of them collecting pollen. Spring is in the air!

De-cluttering

We spent a few nights away from home this week, visiting Adam's folks. One of the good things about a break away is the chance to reflect on how things are going at home. It sort of gets me out of my rut.

I realised that one thing that is bothering me at the moment is the amount of clutter at home. There is stuff everywhere! And a lot of it is for a small person...and a lot of it is in the loungeroom.

So today, inspired by a website called Terrific Toddler Tips (linked to by Aimee) I bought a couple of plastic tubs, and have filled them with toys and books. There are four containers, and the idea is to use one a week and then rotate to a new tub - meaning that the toys and books a) are more interesting to Hamish (and us!) as he won't get to see them all every day, and b) the clutter in the loungeroom is one quarter of what it was before!

Feels very satisfying. Now to see if the plan actually works....

Ka-boom!

There's this thing in our house - we call it the 'baby bomb'. It comes out each day and tears around like a tornado, knocking books from shelves, spreading small pieces of toys across the floor (right where you want to walk) and generally creating a great big mess. We clean up at the end of the day, shaking our heads at the devastation...only to have it return the following morning and do it all again!

Imagine the looney tunes tassie devil hurtling round your loungeroom...that should give you a fair idea.

Reading, Reading, Reading

About a year ago, I wrote about how I was meant to be reading 3 books a day to Hamish. I wasn't doing it then, but let me tell you - we are making up for lost time now!

Hamish is acting like he's in training for the baby reading olympics or something - he is obsessed with having books read to him. Which is lovely - and something I always looked forward to doing with my kids - but seriously, when you're being asked to read stories at least 30 or 40 times a day, it gets old pretty quickly. That's no exaggeration - it's books books books all day long.

So I read him a story, get to the end - and he flips the book back to the beginning and wants to hear it again! And again, and again. Around the third or fourth reading he usually loses interest, and gets another book or wanders off.

I've taken to hiding the books after two reads through - the last sentence in a lot of stories at the moment is 'and then the book mysteriously disappeared!'

I'm sure this is normal toddler behaviour, and it is quite funny. It does test my patience though.

Toddler Clothes

Hamish's outfit today has 7 pockets. Seriously, what's he going to do with 1 pocket, let alone 7? He doesn't even know what a pocket is! Does look cute though :)

some recent photos

Mmmmm, toilet paper! When we go into the bathroom for his bath, I have to shut the toilet lid and put the roll up on top of the loo, otherwise he tries to deposit it in the toilet.

A rainbow from this afternoon.

Looks like he's ready to head off to a footy match!

This toy is way too advanced for him but he enjoyed chewing on the cars.

Hard life for some...

Fish Face

Mum taught Hamish how to do a fish face today - too funny!

Licenced to Drive!

Yes, I finally have my provisional driving licence! It's been a looooong journey but I've made it. Yay!

Will be a little while before I actually take myself anywhere though because our car has a turbo, and P platers are not allowed to drive modified cars. We can apply for an exemption though so we'll see how that goes.

Doing the test this morning was very stressful, even though I've had plenty of practise around the area I did it in. Luckily I didn't do anything silly and still can't quite believe I've qualified.

It's been around 14 years since I first got my Learners Licence...and I've had the current version since 2004!

Massive thank you to UD for sponsoring my many hours of professional lessons...couldn't have done it without you!

Gipsy

The idea of giving up things for one great desire reminds me of this poem, by DH Lawrence (with thanks to KM for introducing me to it years ago!):

Gipsy
I, the man with the red scarf,
Will give thee what I have, this last week's earnings.
Take them, and buy thee a silver ring
And wed me, to ease my yearnings.

For the rest, when thou art wedded
I'll wet my brow for thee
With sweat, I'll enter a house for thy sake,
Thou shalt shut doors on me.

Sacrifice

Been thinking recently about an irony of motherhood - that when God generously gives you the desire of your heart - a child - one of the effects is the seemingly inevitable sacrifice of so many other desires. Eg sleep and rest, time to relax and pursue hobbies and friendships, serving in church etc.

Unless you are a 'Super Mum' (and our culture seems to be slowly realising what a myth that is!) it's just not possible to devote as much time to personal interests as it is without young kids.

So fulfilling one desire puts the rest on hold - because looking after a bub means consistently putting someone else's needs before your own - needs that take up most of the day and sometimes, half the night!

I don't think this is a bad thing - it's just the way it is. It can be tough going, but I know that it's in the challenges that God is at work, shaping us into people who reflect His character. And we've got the ultimate example in His son, who not only gave up his personal interests for us, but his life.

Sweet

We usually let the dogs inside after dinner, and Ruby spends the evening lying at my feet.

On Wednesdays however I'm out at bible study, and Adam tells me that Ruby plants herself right outside Hamish's bedroom door instead! We're not sure whether she thinks she has to look after him when I'm not here or whether she thinks I'm in the room and she's waiting for me to emerge, but either way, it's sweet of her.

Happy First Birthday Hamish!

Turn your speakers on, if you've got them...

'Important News'

I was given two bits of 'important news' today on my walk to the shops and back.

The first was from the lady serving me at the butchers* - she told me that Michael Jackson had died. It's interesting to see that she considered the news of the death worth passing on to a stranger (although I suppose they are used to making conversation with customers).

The second bit of 'news' came as I was walking home. A lady stopped me in the street and asked if she could tell me something really important. I had a hunch what was coming next: "God really loves you!"

I interrupted her at that point to explain that I had already heard that particular news and was in fact a Christian. She asked if I was a 'born-again' Christian, and I agreed that I was after checked her definition of born again! (Having received God's Holy Spirit).

We then went our separate ways. I've got to say, despite the fact that I suspect her and I would differ on a few theological points, I was impressed by her boldness in proclaiming the good news of God's love.

* Incidentally, it was quite funny at the butchers because I requested a lamb pie, and they thought I asked for lamb's fry! I noticed them bagging up a massive livery looking thing and realised the mistake. We had a bit of a chuckle about it...

My Dog is a Doofus

Saffy has a bone in her kennel (a prized possession that she guards very enthusiastically). I'm at my desk inside, with a closed door in between us.

She wants to come in, and waits at the door, but whenever I get up to let her in, she rushes off at great speed to the kennel, lest I or Ruby steal her bone!

I'm leaving the door open so she can make up her mind in her own time....now she's just tried to bring the bone inside - I don't think so!!!! She knows she's not allowed, so as soon as she sees me she slinks back off to the kennel. Poor thing - she's so conflicted lol.

Brief Update

Haven't been blogging much lately - a combination of not having anything interesting to say, and of managing my time differently so I'm not spending as much time on the computer.

There are a few things I'd like to write about, but can't get them clear in my head at the moment.

Stay tuned...

Who knew swatting flies was so funny!

He laughed so hard he actually threw up a few minutes after I stopped taping!

Hamish discovers the touch lamp

Unfortunately he worked it out before 'getting up time' this morning, so we all had an early start!

Growing Up

"When I grow up - I'll have matching furniture."

This is the one concrete thing I can remember thinking, as a child, about life as a grown up. I imagined a fancy house where everything was new and fashionable. This was what being a grown up would mean - having the money to live in style!

Although I don't remember consciously considering it, at the same time I was absorbing more serious ideas about what being a grown up would be like.

I've had a few strange moments recently. The first was when I was walking down to the local shops, pushing Hamish in the stroller. I was vaguely looking around at the trees and houses, when it dawned on me - this is it. I am well and truly a grown up now. That time I used to imagine way in the future, when I was little - I've arrived there.

I think it struck me that the day was so similar to my childhood - with one massive difference - I was the adult in the picture now, not the kid. Very weird moment.

The second strange moment was just the other day, in the kitchen. I was wringing out the dishcloth after having wiped the bench with it. A picture sprang to mind of my mum doing exactly the same thing. And I realised - I will be doing this for a Very. Long. Time. It wasn't a bad thought, just a sobering realisation that the kitchen and I will be spending a lot of time together for the forseeable future. And that I am really, really a grown up now - just without the fancy furniture!

Ribbet, ribbet

On the topic of my bible verse for the week, Soph recently wrote a great post on this section of the bible.

Now that I spend most of my time at home, I've got a great opportunity to control what fills my mind, more so than when I was out and about and working every day.

There's so much noise out there, and if we don't take a critical look at it and try to filter it we can end up thinking some unhealthy and ungodly things, without even noticing. For example - we live in a culture that is constantly telling us we need things, it's all about us, 'we're worth it' and (at the moment) it's our duty to spend money and indulge a bit - for the sake of the economy! I stopped reading catalogues a few months back because all they were doing was making me want to spend money on things I don't need. For the first time in ages, I had a look through a pile of them recently- and guess what? I now think I need to go and buy some winter clothes, a slow cooker, an SLR camera and a sewing machine!

Another area that this relates to is the moral slant of what I watch on TV. One of the first things we were taught at uni was that everything in the media has a bias. There is no neutral - there is always an agenda and a worldview at work, even if it's not obvious. What can seem like mindless entertainment can and does influence us and when you stop and think about it, it's really quite unhealthy to be enjoying tales of murder, rape, adultery, and so on. I used to love racing home from work to watch Bold and the Beautiful, until I took a long hard look at what I was actually enjoying!

I do feel like the proverbial frog in the pot of water sometimes, slowly cooking to a worldly crisp without even realising it. So here's to discernment, and to dwelling on the good things!

Memory update

So far I've memorised two bits of the bible, following Aimee's lead:

Jesus answered: "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again. But whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life".
John 4:13-14

"God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear,
though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging."
Psalm 64: 1-3


I think my next one will be Philipians 4:8, which has been floating round in my head for a few weeks:

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."

Is it worth it?

I quite liked this post on the Sola Panel about the new paid maternity leave scheme.

I'm not sure that the paid scheme is really all that great - it's not much more money than the baby bonus already available, and it does seem to have at heart the idea that a mother and baby only need 14 weeks together full time before the mother can get back to the office.

It's unfortunate that our society generally works on the principal that it's normal for mothers to go back to work when they have a baby, because I think that fundamentally, babies and paid work don't mix.

There are two main reasons for this - the first is that looking after a baby, especially a young baby, is a fluid, unpredictable, round the clock commitment. A job (usually) has set hours and responsibilities that require a level of performance that's hard to sustain on broken sleep and the stresses of looking after a baby.

The second reason is that it's not all that practical to work and have your baby in day care, because they get sick really regularly! This is what happens - you have to go back to work, so your baby goes into care for a day or two a week (if not more). Here they get exposed to germs and catch everything under the sun. This means you a) don't get enough sleep as they are restless and unwell overnight, and b) you have to take time off work to look after them. Not to mention the expense of doctors and medication!

So who does this benefit exactly? Not the mother, who is stressed at home and stressed at work, trying to juggle it all. Not the baby, who is unwell more often than not. Not the employer, whose employee is missing half the time and barely awake when they are at work. Not the husband, who has a sick baby and tired wife.

At least the mortgage gets paid.

Sun Shower

Captain Choko and the Flavourless Brigade

How Smart is Your Right Foot?

Give this a go:

1. While sitting at your desk in front of your computer, lift your right foot off the floor and make clockwise circles.
2. Now, while doing this, draw the number '6' in the air with your right hand. Your foot will change direction. And there's nothing you can do about it! lol

What a Day

I took Hamish to the dr today, because he's been coughing and it was getting worse. He was wheezing a bit this morning. The doctor and nurse freaked out at his low oxygen levels and put him on oxygen and ventolin in a mad flurry of activity, totally freaking me out in the process!

He was ok after a little while, and they gave me a prescription for some strong anti-inflammatory drugs and I had to get him some ventolin as well. What he has is croup, which is a viral infection that can make breathing difficult.

To top things off, I left my wallet at the shops after going to the chemist! Luckily a lady found it and rang me, and we'll go and pick it up tonight. I didn't even realise it was missing when she rang.

I'm upset that Hamish is sick, but at the same time grateful that we can access medication so easily.

I'm taking on Aimee's suggestion to start memorising bible verses - here's this week's:

Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed the water I give him will become in him a spring of waterwelling up to eternal life"John 4:13-14

Now I just have to get my act together and try to learn it!

How To Cook A Choko (or, An Exercise In Futility)

1. Behold the choko.

2. Attack the choko with a peeler.

3. Chop up and place in microwave dish.

4. Cook for 4 minutes, as per instructions from parents.

5. While cooking, melt some butter in a saucepan. Add garlic, salt and pepper - basically anything that will obscure the taste of the choko.

6. Remove choko from microwave and drain water. Realise that parental time prediction was inaccurate and choko is, in fact, not cooked at all. Add more water and return to microwave for another 4 minutes. In the meantime, burn the garlic on the stove, and give cardboard box to baby for pre-meal entertainment.

7. Decide to cook scrambled eggs for lunch.

8. Remove choko from microwave, drain water, realise it is still rock hard, decide you don't care anymore and add to saucepan.

9. Add more butter. Twice. It's very important the first time to drop it on the stovetop instead of in the saucepan, as demonstrated in the photo:

10. Burn the eggs.

11. Put choko in a bowl, and take a photo, steaming up the camera lense in the process.

12. Remove cardboard from baby's mouth.

13. Try to eat choko but give up. Serve eggs on toast.

14. Try again tomorrow!