The Simple Diary of a Simplifying Mama

Painting with eyedroppers

2011-03-22T17:13:00.000-07:00

We'd had a few wet, rainy days and too much indoors time.
So some food colouring diluted in water, eyedroppers, and paper towels = FUN! We experimented with mixing colours (yellow + blue = GREEN) and discovered that mixing all three colours leaves us with 3 shades of brown.
Jambin loved this activity - he spent probaby 45 mins doing this while I sat at the table with him, knitting and nursing a lovely cup of hot coffee. Last night I sticky-taped them up on his bedroom wall in the shape of bunting. They match his red sheets perfectly.

Apple Prints

2011-01-04T17:03:00.000-08:00

:Tape a piece of butchers paper to the table:
:Cut an apple in half, cut notches so that little hands can get a good grip:
:Squirt some red paint onto a sponge:
:Press the apple half into the sponge:
:Make apple prints all over the butchers paper:
:Press a thumb or index finger into a sponge moistened with green paint:
:Add leaves to your apples by fingerprinting:
:Voila! Beautiful apple prints. Perfect for wrapping paper:

Baking in the New Year

2011-01-01T14:44:00.000-08:00

What better way to start 2011 than afternoon tea in the backyard? A melt'n'mix butter cake with butter cream frosting (both recipes courtesty of Donna Hay) and a flat white made with the coffee machine that Santa brought me.

Christmas Sensory Tub

2011-01-01T14:37:00.000-08:00

Slightly more sophisticated than my lentil and rice box, I present the Christmas sensory tub!! Equally as messy, seasonal, and adored by both my little elves. I must admit that even though the lentil and rice box idea was mine, I borrowed the idea of sensory tubs from Mari-Ann on her Counting Coconuts blog.

In the tub, I placed:

* jasmine rice, dyed green with food colouring

* plastic candy canes

* sparky pom-poms

* bells

* plastic containers for scooping

I had plans to wrap up matchboxes like little gifts, but ran a bit short of time. Next year, maybe.

Icecream

2010-10-25T02:50:00.000-07:00

You know the weather is warming up when ice blocks make an appearance. Jambin finished his so fast I couldn't grab a photo of him.

Planting strawberries

2010-10-24T02:27:00.001-07:00

I have a bit of a brown thumb. No really, once I killed a cactus. Several aloe veras, African violets, and a silver queen indoor plant arrived in the great Plant Heaven after receiving my careful ministrations.

So it seems somewhat strange that I have decided that I need to start growing my own food. I have ~~delusions~~ visions of a lush paradise in my own backyard, verdant and healthy, in which I can wander through picking fresh, yummy, organic produce straight off the vine and popping it into my mouth.

And the first step to fulfilling this wonderful vision was the planting of 2 strawberry plants of the Nellie Kelly" variety (purchased at the advice of a random employee from Bunnings). Hopefully I can keep them alive long enough for the army of snails in our backyard to sample some of the fruit when it appears. Wish me luck!

Adventures on a Tuesday

2010-09-07T01:37:00.000-07:00

We started the morning by making a fresh batch of bright green playdough:

We poked it:

And rolled it:

And cut it:

Then we did some cutting and sticking (aka wrapping up shoelaces in brown paper):

Then we went to see the ducks at Sydney Park:

And then went to play in the sandpit:

Our grumpy girl

2010-08-25T14:29:00.000-07:00

This sweet girl of mine did NOT want to have her picture taken with her Nanna.
She is 15 months old in these photos. Still not walking or talking, but she has a doting older brother to do those things for her.

A touch of knitting

2010-07-19T21:41:00.001-07:00

A few things that have kept my fingers warm over the past few wintery months:

Darcy's First Birthday

2010-05-11T00:57:00.000-07:00

Cupcakes for afternoon tea:

Lots of lovely presents:

And a roast for dinner:

And she celebrated by walking for the first time just before birthday bedtime. What a sweet little girl we have been blessed with.

A fine motor / pre-scissors-skills activity

2010-05-02T01:07:00.000-07:00

Just so that I feel like I'm using my OT education in some way, I set up this Montessori-inspired transferring activity for Jambin, using a silicon muffin tray, a set of plastic kiddie chopsticks, and M&M's. Initially I tried the activity with pom poms, but Jambin was less than impressed. Motivation was SO much higher when chocolate was involved.

Mr Potato Head - in chocolate!!

2010-04-17T14:52:00.000-07:00

Feeding the Easter bunny

2010-04-17T14:29:00.000-07:00

A well-timed encounter with a bunny, just a few days before Easter, while having a morning tea with some lovely ladies from my antenatal class.

Royal National Park, Sydney

2010-04-02T01:31:00.001-07:00

Last weekend we continued our exploration and discovery of the place we now call home, and found ourselves at a lovely little place called Garie Beach, within the Royal National Park. It's a surf beach, but there were some gorgeous litle shallows where the kids enjoyed splashing in the water. I did a bit of paddling, but enjoyed digging my toes into the sand while I knitted.

Painting with straws

2010-03-08T23:54:00.000-08:00

Salt dough shapes

2010-02-24T15:21:00.000-08:00

This was a great craft that Jambin and I did over the past two days. I got the idea from this post at the Long Thread blog.

First we made the salt dough, using the recipe in the Long Thread post.

Then we rolled the dough out flat:

Then we cut shapes out of the dough using biscuit cutters:

Then we poked holes in the dough shapes, and baked them in the oven:

Then we painted them:

We let the paint dry overnight, and then we threaded them onto embroidery floss:

And made a bee-yoo-tiful necklace!

Green Slime!

2010-01-06T16:04:00.001-08:00

Jambin and I cooked some green slime today. I used the Easy Slime Recipe #1 from this site but the cornflour stayed very lumpy in the mixture, so I think if I used the same recipe again, I would mix the cornflour to a runny paste with a small amount of water before adding it to the saucepan containing the boiling water.

Pushing the mixture through a tea strainer (the only strainer in my house) wasn't very effective as the unmixed cornflour soon coated the strainer so that no slime could be pushed through:

So we decided that we would just play with lumpy bumpy slime:

Honestly, Jambin wasn't overly thrilled by this activity. He thought it was kind of interesting for about 5 minutes, we then extended the playtime by letting him coat the backs of my hands in slime, and then he was asking if he could wash his hands. Oh well. It was worth a try.

Collecting pinecones for Christmas

2009-12-13T15:17:00.000-08:00

This was such a fun activity to do as a family - something seasonal, outdoors, local - and we now have a lovely basket of pinecones sitting on out hitchen table exuding their lovely resinous pine-y aroma.

These pinecones came from the Kauri pine (agathis robusta) which are native to Eastern Queensland. We discovered that birds like to pull off the tabs of the pinecone, presumbably to get at the pollen, working from the bottom upwards. It became a game to find the most perfect, untouched pinecone with all tabs intact. We also noticed that the outer edges of the pinecone were covered in a whitish resin the consistency of candle-wax - very sticky and with a strong pine smell.

Afterwards, as we were sitting on a bed of pine needles enjoying watching a couple have their wedding photos taken, we were treated to the site of 4 cockatoos walking on the undergrowth very close to us.

Darcy's 5 month birthday

2009-10-05T01:34:00.000-07:00

Darcy celebrated her 5-month birthday yesterday. She is growing up so fast. I took her to the baby health centre to be weighed ... she is now a whopping 6.3kgs, which is 1.6kgs bigger than when she was born. We started solids two weeks ago, a little earlier than planned, because of her failure to thrive diagnosis. She thinks rice cereal is gross, but apple puree and prunes are the best!

She is rolling front-to-back and back-to-front, but not too often ... just often enough to remind us that she knows how to do it yet. She likes to sit up supported in a breastfeeding pillow, and has just started grabbing both feet with her hands and trying her best to chew on her toes. She is improving at tummy-time and will now tolerate it for about 2 minutes.

She is still breastfeeding beautifully, and she has a strong preference for 'rightie' over 'leftie'. When times are desperate, she'll accept breastmilk in a bottle, but she normally makes it known that she is not to happy with this state of affairs. I'm not sure what will happen next month when I'm going to an occupational therapy conference for two whole days. Gareth will probably bring her in for a lunchtime feed, so hopefully she's survive morning and afternoon tea without me.

She's still waking 2-3 times a night for feeds, although last week it was closer to 5-6 times a night. It nearly killed me. Like her older brother, she isn't much of a day sleeper, having 4-5 mini-catnaps of about 15 mins each througout the day. So far, I haven't figured any way to resettle her after she wakes up, so we're stuck with this for the time being.

She absolutely adores Jambin and follows him with her eyes all around the room. If she's whinging, Jambin will sing to her and she will settle instantly. She watched him dance to a CD this morning and giggled loudly the whole time ... what a magical sound! She spends as much time with him as she does with me, even more than her Daddy, so he is definitely an important part of her life.

She is putting everything in her mouth to explore it, and has recently started getting annoyed if I take something off her, so I always have to offer her something else in it's place.

She is an absolute joy, a happy and contented little soul, and a wise, knowing, observing being. We're all looking forwards to seeing what the next month may bring.

Bathing in the pulla bowl

2009-08-31T00:17:00.001-07:00

On account of our having disposed of our baby bath before moving to Sydney, and her early bedtime which precludes showering with Daddy after he arrives home from work, Darcy must suffer the indignity of being bathed in my pulla bowl. This is, as its name suggests, the bowl I use to bake pulla, a type of Finnish coffeebread. Since Miss D is intolerant of dairy and soy, I can't eat my beloved pulla. And if I can't eat any, I'm not going to cook it either. So I guess at least the bowl is being put to good use in the meantime.

A conversation with Jambin

2009-08-30T01:59:00.000-07:00

Me: Would you like a cup of juice?
Jambin: Yes pleeeeese Mummy.
Me: Would you like the blue cup or the yellow cup?
Jambin: I want this cup!! (holds out a packet of sultanas)

Meal Plan for the Week

2009-08-02T02:53:00.001-07:00

Last week I ordered my groceries from Coles Online for the first time. Can I just say that the $9 delivery fee and slightly higher costs were WELL AND TRULY WORTH IT! Not having to lug groceries and 2 children home on the pram (resembling an overladen mule) and then up 3 flights of stairs was, well, priceless. Instead, some lucky person walked the aisles for me and selected all my goods, and then a lovely young man with a trolley brought them up the stairs, right through my front door and onto the kitchen table.

So, tonight I put in my second order. It helps immensely to have planned my meals in advance, so this is what our family will be dining on this week:

Monday - Spaghetti Bolonaise
Tuesday - Spaghetti Bolonaise
Wednesday - Mexican Chicken Tortilla Soup
Thursday - Mexican Chicken Tortilla Soup
Friday - Vegetable stir fry with rice noodles
Saturday - Roast Pork with veges
Sunday - Roast Pork with veges

Since the paediatrician has had me cut dairy and soy out of my diet, as she suspects Darcy is allergic/intolerant to them, meal planning is a bit trickier than usual. And because we're busy people, we eat the same things 2 nights in a row usually.

Ever wondered what a bath with an entire bottle of blue food colouring would look like?

2009-07-29T01:05:00.000-07:00

No basketti for my son

2009-07-28T00:17:00.000-07:00

In our house, we call it spetti-getti:

Whiskey Before Breakfast

2009-07-18T01:44:00.000-07:00

A sweet l'il bluegrass tune:

Bitti d'lish

2009-07-16T01:55:00.000-07:00

Darcy, wearing the luscious Bitti d'Lish cloth nappy, a gift from the lovely Deb in Brisbane. It's a medium and fits her perfectly (she's 5.1kgs) but still has lots of room for growth. Not long after this photo was taken, Darcy 'christened' the new nappy with a lovely yellow poo.

Milo vest

2009-07-16T01:49:00.000-07:00

Isn't this the sweetest? It's a Milo vest, the first thing I've knitted that isn't a pair of longies or a dishcloth. It was knitted on 4mm circular needles using Morris superwash 8ply merino in Irises colourway. I was a bit apprehensive abouot knitted cabling (see the bottom photo), but it was much easier than it looks (just as my friend Shannon assured me that it would be).

Minutiae of my daily existence

2009-07-16T01:42:00.001-07:00

Today, whilst keeping a toddle creatively engaged and a newborn happily breastfed, I achieved the following domestic and not-so-domestic tasks:

- baked cinnamon and brown sugar scrolls. Jambin didn't like them, so I ate the lot!
- took a nap with Darcy snuggled up in the crook of my arm. She was wearing the sleeping bag that belonged to Jambin when he was younger.
- picked up sequins from the floor and under the couch cushions. These were hidden in an art/craft box which I had cunningly hidden at the back of the top shelf of one of Jambin's wardrobes. Thet should not have been reachable by a 27 month old small boy, not even when said boy dragged a chair into his bedroom to investigate what exciting things were on the upper shelves while I was taking a nap.
- read the meeting minutes from my church playgroup committee
- finished knitting a milo vest for Darcy (another post to follow with pics)
- went grocery shopping for dinner ingredients after Gareth arrived home from work. This child-free excursion reminded me how easy grocery shopping is without 2 children in tow.

Kite Flying

2009-07-13T00:23:00.000-07:00

Since there have been a few sibling jealousy issues lately, Gareth planned this special activity with Jambin a few weekends ago. We drove to Kidstuff toystore at Woollahra to buy the kite, then walked over to Centennial Park for flying lessons. We didn't stay long as the wind was freezing.

Vacuuming is fun!

2009-06-18T15:53:00.000-07:00

We let Jambin empty his box of lentils all over floor. Then, and this was the best bit, I gave him the vacuum cleaner. He thought this was absolutely tops, and set about experimenting with what could be sucked up (teddies, clothes, hair, chalk) and what couldn't (his footstool, the couch, mummy's foot, Darcy)

Poor teddy:

Giving himself a blow-wave:

What I'm reading:

2009-06-17T02:46:00.000-07:00

My pretty sweeting

2009-06-15T16:24:00.000-07:00

Having just spent a wonderful weekend in Cairns at the wedding of Jambin & Darcy's "Auntie Terri", I couldn't resist titling this post after the quote on the back of the reception table placecards from Shakespeare's Carpe Diem:

"Trip no further, pretty sweeting,
Journey's end in lovers' meeting -
Every wise man's son doth know."

Is there anything more delicious and kissable than tiny baby toes?

The pants? Lovingly handknitted by yours truly using my dear friend Shannon's longies pattern, currently offered for free on her blog, but soon to be new and improved and available for purchase. The yarn I used is Woolganics certified organic merino 8ply wool, grown by some obliging sheep in our neighbouring New Zealand. The colour is Grapefruit Moon.

Finger painting

2009-05-26T18:42:00.000-07:00

Jambin was given some finger paints for his 2nd birthday, so I finally got them out for him to use this morning. Notice the plastic covering on the table, and the lack of clothing. I learn from my mistakes. Jambin tasted a finger-ful of red paint - thank goodness it's non-toxic.

Pretty in pink

2009-05-26T18:36:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all our lovely friends and family, we have gone from having no pink clothes at all to having an entire pink wardrobe (which thrills me no end - Gareth was never keen on me dressing Jambin in pink!). Isn't our little Darcy-girl just delicious!

A bag of buttons

2009-05-26T18:32:00.000-07:00

I bought Jambin a bag of buttons from Spotlight and a packet of pipecleaners to thread them onto. As well as threading, we did some colour sorting, and lined up all of the buttons around the perimter of the rug.

Tummy time

2009-05-26T18:29:00.000-07:00

Manley

2009-05-17T16:28:00.000-07:00

In honour of Darcy being 2 weeks old, we took a trip to Manley on the ferry with Nanna & Grandad. Darcy slept through most of it, apart from a short breastfeed on the waterfront, but Jambin enjoyed himself, especially his BurgerMe burger and lemon-pepper chips. The ferry trip home wasn't so much fun, as Jambin was well overdue for a sleep by then and was tired and cranky. Next time we'll have to try to leave much earlier in the day so that we can be home for naptime. I was amazed that Gareth and I managed to get out the door by 9.15am with 2 young children. I used to have trouble getting out the door by 10am with just Jambin, so it seems my organisational skills have improved since becoming a parent.

Introducing Darcy

2009-05-10T19:51:00.000-07:00

On the 3rd May 2009, Darcy Rose was born via caesarean section at the Royal Hospital for Women.
For those who like the details, she weighed 4725g (approx 10lbs 7oz) and was 54.5 cm long.
She was born very healthy, with Apgars of 9 and 9.
She was slightly hypoglycaemic at birth, but that resolved after her first breastfeed.
She is feeding beautifully.

Her big brother, Jambin, is so proud of his new little sister.
He takes every opportunity to give her kisses and cuddles.
He tries to share his food with her, and is hoping that she is old enough to build Duplo with him soon.

What Jambin and I are reading:

2009-04-25T17:24:00.000-07:00

Good Friday

2009-04-10T01:37:00.001-07:00

Baths are more fun in technicolour

2009-04-01T15:30:00.000-07:00

I tried this when Jambin starting being a bit less keen to have a bath at nighttime. Voila - instant cooperation. He likes to choose what colour bath he has each night. Red is definitely his favourite. Sometimes he'll tell me he wants a green bath, then, after I've already put the food colouring in, changes his mind. I haven't been able to convince him yet that adding red to green is likely to result in a brown bath, not the desired red.

(these photos were obviously taken pre-haircut, a month or so ago)

34 weeks pregnant

2009-03-29T14:47:00.000-07:00

I'm really heading towards the pointy end of this pregnancy now, and I'm ready to meet the baby. I'm still healthy, and fairly mobile, but I'm getting lots of very strong braxton-hicks contractions which exhaust me. Every time I get up from a chair, lean forwards, get out of bed, or when I'm walking to playgroup or the shops, I get these really uncomfortable tightenings. I've had them for the last 3 weeks, so I guess my body is just preparing for labour. If I spend a few hours resting in bed (only possible on the weekends when Gareth is home to look after Jambin) they stop, so I'm confident they are just a warm-up for the real thing in 6 weeks or so.

I don't think my belly looks any bigger in these photos than what it did 3 weeks ago. I've put on 11kgs so far, which is a bit of a worry. I only put on 10kgs total with Jambin, and he weighed 4.86kgs, so the rest must have been placenta, amniotic fluid and blood volume. I lost it very quickly with breastfeeding. I'm guessing that this time I've probably put on a bit of padding as well as baby, and it might not be as easy to lose this time around.

Gareth, Jambin and I went to Maroubra Beach on Saturday and Sunday this weekend. It was so nice to dig a big hole in the sand and lie face-down for a little bit. I even got brave and strutted around, bare belly, in a bikini. Some may have mistaken me for a beached whale though.

Rice and lentil box

2009-03-22T23:34:00.000-07:00

I made this toy for Jambin this afternoon. He loved it! And it only cost about $2 for the box - everything else I already had in my pantry. I used brown rice and red lentils because they were what I found in the pantry, but I also liked the colour contrast.

Of course, the rice and lentils didn't always remain in the box, but Jambin had fun helping me pick up all the little bits that "fell" out.

I should listen to my husband ....

2009-03-22T23:23:00.000-07:00

... when he tells me that we only need to mash 2 huge potatoes for dinner, and not 3 as I insisted upon.

Drawing on the table

2009-03-15T19:06:00.000-07:00

I sticky-taped a large piece of butchers paper onto our dining room table for Jambin to draw on. He does lots of drawing in notebooks, on his magna-doodle and on his chalkboard, but I thought he might like a larger canvas to play with.

The *best* bit, as far as he was concerned, was the join in the table sections that I'd taped the paper over. He discovered that if you run your pencil down the join, it makes the paper tear in a nice straight line.

Jambin's 1st Haircut

2009-03-15T18:55:00.000-07:00

At nearly 2 years old, I finally bit the bullet and took the boy in for his first haircut. I had anticipated screaming, tantrums, and running away - he doesn't really like other people touching him, and having your hair cut is pretty confronting. But I think he was shocked - and he sat quietly the whole time without a peep. I took him to a kiddies hairdresser where he got to sit in an aeroplane with a steering wheel, watch Bob the Builder on his own personal DVD player in front of him, and was presented with a balloon and jelly beans afterwards.

We think he looks gorgeous - but I miss running my fingers through his lovely long curls.

At the park with Daddy

2009-03-15T16:19:00.000-07:00

Gotta love daylight savings! These photos were taken at about 7pm, when Gareth took Jambin to the park across the road after he got home from work.

Shaving Cream

2009-03-08T17:36:00.000-07:00

I had this bright idea. Shaving cream, food colouring, toddler .....
I thought it might teach him some interesting concepts about what happens when two colours get mixed, and a nice sensory experience with touching different textures.

The reality: 2 minutes preparation, 5 minutes 'play' (mostly tantrums), 45 minutes clean-up including bath and hair-washing.

Lessons learned: next time, child STARTS activity naked.

Belly Photos - 31wks pregnant

2009-03-06T16:36:00.000-08:00

Actually 31 weeks and 3 days pregnant, with baby #2. Just yesterday I had someone say "not long to go now, hey?". You should have seen the look on their face when I told them I still had 9 weeks to go. But I'm fairly certain that I was larger than this with Jambin, and the obstetrician seems to think that this baby is on track to be a 'normal' size (as compared with Jambin, who was 4.86kgs, or 10lbs 11.5 oz). I'm still fairly comfortable moving around, and spend all day getting up and down off the floor and carrying 15kgs of Jambin up and down 3 flights of stairs. I can still put on my own knickers (standing up, no less!) and my own shoes. And my feet don't seem to have ballooned to enormous proportions like they did when I was pregnant with Jambin either.

Jambin likes to kiss the baby, and listen to it - he thinks it sounds like a truck.

This is what happens ...

2009-03-05T21:37:00.000-08:00

... at 4.30pm when somebody refuses to go down for a nap all day.

What do I do now? If I wake him up, I lose my opportunity for some breathing room (he's been really, really hard work today). If I let him sleep, he's going to be awake til past midnight, and since he was up past midnight last night, I am too tired to be dealing with that all over again tonight.

Making playdough

2009-02-24T16:06:00.000-08:00

I promised Jambin that after we came home from the doctor's (obstetrician) this morning, that we would make playdough. He's been very excited about it all morning, telling everyone who gives him the time of day "make playdough, make playdough".

I used the recipe from the back of the McKenzie's cream of tartar container:
2 cups plain flour
4 tbs cream of tartar
2 tbs cooking oil
1 cup salt
2 cups water
food colouring

Usually, I use the recipe for cooked playdough from the Western Australian PAL (Play And Learning)playdough factsheet which looks to be the same, only half the volume.

Helping to pour the ingredients in the saucepan:

Stirring:

Clean-up (fun when you're nearly 2, not as fun when you're 31):

The finished product:

Bronte Beach

2009-02-22T14:30:00.000-08:00

We took Jambin to the beach a few weekends ago. Bronte Beach is just south of Bondi Beach. On the day we went, it was packed, even though the photos make it look like we were the only people on the beach. Bronte Beach has a kiddie rockpool at one end, which Jambin thought was pretty neat, even though the water was icy cold. We took a bus there and back, because parking can be a nightmare, particularly on weekends.

I hate unpacking!

2009-02-22T14:23:00.000-08:00

Is there anything worse than a unit full of packed boxes, and the knowledge that you have to find somewhere to put everything, whilst keeping a toddler entertained? Thankfully we had simplified a LOT and gotten rid of pretty much everything that wasn't used regularly or held very special significance.

I'm happy to report, though, that everything is fully unpacked now. Photos to follow sometime in the future ....

Leaving Brisbane

2009-02-22T14:15:00.000-08:00

The last day living in our Brisbane house ...

We engaged a real estate agent to undertake property management for us, and there are now tenants living there. Hopefully they are enjoying the house, deck and backyard as much as we did.

Our New Pad

2008-12-29T17:54:00.000-08:00

So, we're moving to Sydney in 3 weeks. We're downsizing from our current 3 bedroom house (with lovely deck, sunroom, double lock-up-garage and under-house storage) to a 2 bedroom apartment with no garage, no laundry and no linen cupboard. Rent in Sydney is astronomical, compared with Brisbane.

But we're really happy with the apartment. It met all of our essential criteria - within walking distance of train line, within walking distance of parks (Centennial Park will be our front yard), within walking distance of grocery shops and basic amenities (Westfield Bondi Junction is 10 mins walk away), and close to Gareth's work (5 min train trip). It's also 2 blocks from the local library, and a short bus ride to Bondi Beach. We're stoked. And it's been a very good opportunity to pare down all of our stuff to the bare essentials. We've already taken 5 ute-loads and 2 carloads of stuff to the dump, sold books/appliances/furtniture, and there is still heaps we need to get rid of. I've donated almost my entire craft collection (minus sewing machine) to a good friend with 4 daughters (hi Shannon!) who I am sure will make better use of it than I have been doing for the last few years.

Finally, after much planning and unproductive talking, we are actually simplifying our life! And it feels so great.

First Babycino

2008-12-29T17:42:00.000-08:00

My baby boy is growing up. He had his first babycino yesterday, and so became part of the Cowen tradition ... sitting down to have Muffin Break coffees while we plan meals for the week, write a shopping list, and then, when the coffees have been drunk, into the grocery store we go.

Caught in a rainstorm

2008-11-09T00:24:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we had a surprise rainstorm while Jambin was outside playing on the deck. I've been disappointed that he won't get to experience the thrill of running through sprinklers on a hot summer's day, due to Brisbane's water restrictions, but this was even better - Heaven's sprinkler!!

Pregnancy Update

2008-11-02T20:37:00.000-08:00

So, I'm 13 weeks 5 days along. A few more days and I'll be entering my second trimester. I'm still nauseous almost every morning, but have only thrown up twice, which is excellent compared with my pregnancy with Jambin, where I threw up daily (and sometimes off the train platform on the way to work). I still can't do the washing up without gagging - which is slightly problematic because our dishwasher has gone belly-up, and we can't afford to replace it at the moment.

I had an appointment with the midwife at the hospital where I've booked in last week. Do you remember how I mentioned that I was measuring 2 days ahead at my 8 week scan .... Well, according to my fundal height, I'm now measuring about a week ahead. I know, I know, measurements are often wrong. But given my history of having a ginormous baby, and 2 measurements taken with different methods by different people in different hospitals, I'm starting to prepare myself for having another toddler-sized newborn.

The plan at this stage is to have a VBAC (vaginal birth after caesarean). I'm not sure whether that will happen or not, as I feel that the internal tearing of my stitches after the caesarean with Jambin may have compromised my scar integrity. The spot where the stitches tore has been painful since he was born, and now that everything is stretching and growing in my pelvis, it's giving me even more trouble. If it turns out I'm at a high risk of uterine rupture (not just the average risk associated with a VBAC), then I'm not going to push the issue. I guess that makes me a traitor to the natural birth cause, but I'm far, far more concerned about breastfeeding working out this time around than I am about 'achieving' a natural birth.

If I did have to have a repeat c/s, I'm going to ask that I be allowed to go into labour naturally first, so that I will have some of the hormonal changes to help with getting breastfeeding working from the beginning. I'm also going to ask that I be allowed to wear my glasses. My surgeon last time wore his glasses, and I'm 99% sure they didn't autoclave them first, so I can't see any reason why I can't wear mine. I'm blind as a bat without them, which makes me feel a bit vulnerable.

What else .... Jambin has started patting my belly and saying "baby", and even though he knows what 'baby' means, I'm pretty sure he has no real idea that I'm growing one.
I'm tired, so very tired. Growing a baby and parenting an active toddler is exhausting. I've also been working 2-3 days a week, and getting out the door just about does me in.

Menu Plan Monday

2008-11-02T20:27:00.000-08:00

Monday & Tuesday - Fajitas
Wednesday & Thursday - Mexican Chicken Tortilla Soup (by popular demand from Gareth, even though it's a Winter recipe, and it's far too hot to be eating spicy soup at this time of year)
Friday - BBQ steak, sausages, onions, mushrooms and potato salad.
Saturday - BBQ fish, prawns, and green salad.
Sunday - hopefully either Gareth's or my parents (who are both staying with us this weekend) will be able to babysit Jambin so that Gareth and I can go out to dinner to celebrate our 6th wedding anniversary.

I'm trying to use up some ingredients in my cupboard, and I'm still feeling that first trimester tiredness, so I'm doubling up on meals to cut down on night-time cooking. I gave my fridge a really good clean-out this afternoon. It was starting to look a little bit scary (and furry!!). I'm grocery shopping this afternoon, so it will be nice to arrive home and be able to put the cold things in the fridge without playing Food Tetris to fit everything in, and trying to avoid aforementioned furry things.

There's only one!

2008-09-23T19:23:00.000-07:00

Only one baby in there, looking very healthy and heart beating strongly. My estimated due date is 6th May 2009. I'm relieved it's not twins. Our car isn't big enough for 3 carseats, our house isn't big enough for 3 small children, and I'm pretty sure I don't have the calm and ever-patient temperament to be a mum of twins. There was always a chance when we had 2 embryos transferred with the IVF cycle, but it's worked out for the best. We still have 7 embryos frozen, which we will use when we're ready to start thinking about #3.

So one it is. 17mm long. Measuring 8weeks 2 days, which is 2-3 days ahead. I'm not sure how accurate the dating is at this age, but I'm hoping I'm not going to have another monster baby like Jambin was - 4860g, or 10lbs 11 and a half oz. I'm trying for a VBAC (vaginal birth after caesarean), and I would prefer not to be squeezing out an 11-pounder.

Announcing ....

2008-09-23T02:04:00.000-07:00

Two new additions to our family.

1. Our Deck.
Only partially finished in the picture below, but currently is fully surrounded by handrails that will prevent small children dropping off the precipice. It still needs a roof, which should be going on sometime over the next few weeks.

2. I'm 8 weeks pregnant with baby #2!!
Looks like our IVF cycle this time around worked. I got the positive blood test around 4 weeks ago, and my beta HCG was 271, which my fertility specialist's office described as "strongly positive". It was definitely much higher than my blood test with Jambin, at around the same timeframe. I have my first obstetrician appointment tomorrow - hopefully he'll do a scan so that we can confirm there's only one baby growing in there.

UFO Update #4 / Flower Garden Knee Quilt

2008-09-10T01:46:00.000-07:00

It's finished! And I'm so, so happy with it. The pattern was from a Patchwork & Quilting magazine from about 4 years ago. The quilt I started at Christmas-time nearly 3 years ago. The patchwork squares are machine-pieced; the flowers squares are hand-appliqued; the actual quilting is done by hand also.

When I started it, I thought it was a bed-sized quilt and didn't realise it was going to be so small. But it's perfect. Just perfect.

UFO List:
~~1. Cloth bum wipes~~
2. Cloth nappies - Cuddlebuns
3. Cloth mama pads
~~4. Flower garden knee quilt~~
5. English patchwork knee quilt
6. Japanese fabric quilt
7. Wheat harvesting cross-stitch
8. Watering can of flowers cross-stitch
~~9. Knitted longies - green~~
10. Knitted longies - red
~~11. Boxer shorts for Gareth~~
12. Ankle length pink skirt
13. Curtains for Jambin's playroom
14. Curtains for my outdoor office
15. Bibs

Vocabulary of a 16-month old

2008-08-21T16:08:00.000-07:00

In order of frequency, from most uttered to least:

Dog

Hot

Cold

Poo

More

Gone

He also started to shake his head 'no' a week ago, and today nodded 'yes' for the first time.

So far, neither Gareth nor I have won the "is he going to say Mama or Dada first?" race!

Menu Plan Monday

2008-08-04T17:50:00.000-07:00

Monday - Chilli con Carne

Tuesday - Sweet and sour chicken stir-fry with snow peas and pineapple

Wednesday - Chicken with green peppercorns

Thursday - Leftovers from Tuesday and Wednesday nights

Friday - Beef and mushroom ragout (slow cooker) with cauliflower bake

Saturday - Chicken curry (slow cooker) with rice and pappadums

Sunday - Toasted sandwiches

Homemaking Is An Art

2008-08-04T03:09:00.000-07:00

After my last post, a little bit of inspiration that I found on someone else's blog:

"Homemaking is an art, and you have the privilege of expressing and developing all your talents there in a little place called home. You get to build...beautify... organize...create...fuss...express yourself. You get to read and study and grow and master nutrition, finances, horticulture, design, wardrobe, etc. And you also get to shape your children, to give their precious lives a bent toward God. To nurture their souls with the good things of God. To pass on the truth about Jesus to one more generation. And to do so means you've got to be dedicated, organized, and a woman of purpose. And you've got to have the spunk and energy to follow through on all the dedication, organization, and purpose that answering God's high calling to homemaking requires."

--Elizabeth George, A Woman's High Calling

Will my house ever be clean again?

2008-08-04T03:01:00.000-07:00

This is the mess Jambin created in the time it took me to brush my teeth. Lest you think I am a dental hygiene freak, I can assure you that I only spend a few minutes on my pearly whites morning and night. I don't even floss and gargle every time. If I'm being honest, I will admit that I don't even floss and gargle on a monthly basis, which is probably why my dentist gave me quote recently for the work I need doing, and it amounts to just over $600.

It's not that I have terribly high standards of house cleanliness, but I do like to be able to walk down the hallway without tripping over things, and when I cook, it's nice to be able to take the ingredients and utensils out of cupboards and drawers, instead of picking them up off the floor.

Tidying is tricky. Jambin immediately wants to play with (i.e. distribute throughout the house) anything that I touch. So by virtue of that, anything that I touch to tidy away, automatically becomes his new favourite toy, to be discarded only when I touch something else in a pointless effort to create some semblence of order. You can see where I'm going with this .....

I've done a lot of thinking about this, and as far as I can tell, the only solution is to massively declutter the amount of stuff we own. Less stuff = less things for Jambin to take out of cupboards = less things for me to put back into cupboards. Jambin is a whirlwind of never-ceasing activity - that's just his temperament and I can't see it changing in the short term, so I need to change either (1) the home environment or (2) my reaction to the mess or (3) both.

Savoury Muffins

2008-08-03T02:26:00.000-07:00

I made a batch of these today, and they've already been demolished by Gareth, Jambin and myself. I've adapted this from a zucchini slice recipe given to me by Deb, a friend in my mum's group. It's super easy, yummy, and can be easily adapted to use up any leftover veges in the fridge.

Ingredients

* 2 carrots, grated and excess liquid removed

* 1 zucchini, grated and excess liquid removed

* Kernals from 1 corn cob (or 2 handfuls frozen corn kernals)

* 1 onion

* 6 eggs

½ cup oil

1 cup self-raising flour

1 cup grated cheese

4 bacon rashers (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Mix all ingredients together, no need to sift the flour.

Place spoonfuls into greased muffin tray. They don't rise much during cooking, so fill the muffin cup nearly to the top. Try using mini-,muffin trays to make small ones for toddlers - my son loves these.

Bake in a moderate oven for approximately 25 mins.

Eat warm or cool - they're yummy either way

Ingredients with an asterix (*) beside them came out of my Food Connect box.

Menu Plan Monday

2008-07-27T21:14:00.000-07:00

Monday - Grilled barramundi with chips

Tuesday - Minestrone with homemade bread

Wednesday - Chilli con Carne with corn chips

Thursday - Chicken teriyaki with rice noodles

Friday - Leftovers or takeaway Indian curry

Saturday - Tuna and tumeric rice

Sunday - Steak with fried eggs and spicy carrot salad

Menu Plan Monday

2008-07-15T03:31:00.000-07:00

Okay, I know it's Tuesday, but I didn't get a chance to post this yesterday lol. My in-laws left yesterday morning, after spending a week staying here, helping us build a new set of front steps, so I only have to plan for 3 people this week.

Our Menu Plan for this week is as follows:

Monday - Tacos

Tuesday - Chickpea, lentil and butter bean soup

Wednesday - Minestrone with homemade bread

Thursday - Chicken paprika with rice

Friday - Chicken paprika with rice (leftovers)

Saturday - Spaghetti bolonaise

Sunday - Toasted sandwiches

UFO Update #3 / Knitted Longies

2008-07-12T19:00:00.000-07:00

Knitted green longies, which are water-resistant by virture of being made of 100% wool. I can use these over fitted nappies, or even terry towelling flats, WITHOUT needing to use a cover.

This is the first thing I've ever knitted, and I'm so happy with how they turned out. I *think* one leg is slightly longer than the other, but it must be because my stitches were slightly tighter on one side, because I've recounted and there are definitely the same number of rows in each leg.

When I finished knitting these, I immediately started knitting another pair, in Woolganics organic wool, coloured Chile (deep, dark red), just so that I don't forget what to do. I'm going too knit a pair for a friend in my mum's group too, for her daughter Niamh.

UFO List:
~~1. Cloth bum wipes~~
2. Cloth nappies - Cuddlebuns
3. Cloth mama pads
4. Flower garden knee quilt
5. English patchwork knee quilt
6. Japanese fabric quilt
7. Wheat harvesting cross-stitch
8. Watering can of flowers cross-stitch
~~9. Knitted longies - green~~
10. Knitted longies - red
~~11. Boxer shorts for Gareth~~
12. Ankle length pink skirt
13. Curtains for Jambin's playroom
14. Curtains for my outdoor office
15. Bibs

My love affair with a mixmaster

2008-07-06T19:57:00.000-07:00

Gareth and my in-laws bought me this for a birthday gift a few years ago, alone with some matching pink utensils (of course!). I love it. It gives me joy to look at it sitting on my kitchen bench. And because it's not tucked away in a cupboard, I use it a lot. Yesterday I decided to make cupcakes on a whim .... 15 mins later they were in the oven. If I had to dig through my crowded cupboards to get a mixer or electric beaters out, I can pretty much guarantee than those cupcakes we had for dessert last night would not have been baked. It's got a bread hook attachment which I've never used, mostly because I like to make my bread by hand. But it's nice to know that it's there if I ever feel the urge to use it.

My gorgeous boy

2008-07-06T19:44:00.000-07:00

14 months old

UFO Update #2 / Cloth Bum Wipes

2008-05-30T04:33:00.000-07:00

I've finished making 14 cloth bum wipes. One side is flannelette, the other side is terry towelling. I may make more with any fabric scraps left over from my nappy-making, but 14 plus the 8 Swaddlebees ones that I already own is a good start.

UFO List:

~~1.Cloth bum wipes~~
2. Cloth nappies - Cuddlebuns
3. Cloth mama pads
4. Flower garden knee quilt
5. English patchwork knee quilt
6. Japanese fabric quilt
7. Wheat harvesting cross-stitch
8. Watering can of flowers cross-stitch
9. Knitted longies - green
10. Knitted longies - red and purple
~~11. Boxer shorts for Gareth~~
12. Ankle length pink skirt
13. Curtains for Jambin's playroom
14. Curtains for my outdoor office
15. Bibs

Baking Bread

2008-05-29T18:46:00.000-07:00

I've been baking a lot of bread lately, from scratch and using my own two hands, not a bread machine. There is something so very cathartic about kneading yeasty dough which will eventually become warm, fragrant food for my family. It seems like such an indulgence to take the time to make something that can so easily be bought, but there must be some benefit to eating food that has been made by hand, not machine.

The recipe I'm using is from Nigella Lawson's How To Be A Domestic Goddess cookbook. I love this book. It's everything I am striving to be.

Reading List from Good Reading Magazine May 08

2008-05-28T16:09:00.000-07:00

I know, I know .... two very similar posts in a row. But I borrowed both issues of Good Reading from the library at the same time and they're both due back today.

Books I'd like to read from this month's issue:

"The Prophet" by Kahlil Gibran
"A Novel In A Year" by Louise Doughty
"The Outcast" by Sadie Jones
"Disquiet" by Julia Leigh
"Mutiny On The Bounty" by John Boyne
"Blasphemy" by Douglas Preston
"God Without Religion" by Sankara Saranam
"Leaf" by Stephen Michael King (a children's book without words)

Reading List from Good Reading Magazine April 08

2008-05-25T15:58:00.000-07:00

I love this magazine. It always gives me a huge list of books that I'd like to read, which, of course, I never get read before the next issue of Good Reading is released.

Books I'd like to read from this month's issue:

"The Death Chamber" by Sarah Rayne (actually, any of Sarah Rayne's books. She's a new author to me, but sounds right up my alley)
"The Double Bind" by Chris Bohjalian (also a good bookclub book)
"Genesis" by Bernard Beckett (a young adult fiction book about the future)
"Life In His Hands: the true story of a neurosurgeon and a pianist" by Susan Wyndham
"Woman of Clay" by Bernadette Raymond O'Connor
"What Was Lost" by Catherine O'Flynn
"Addition" by Toni Jordan
"Brida" by Paulo Coelho
"Still Waters" by Camilla Noli
"The Big Little Book of Happy Sadness" by Colin Thompson (a children's book)
"Boot Camp" by Todd Strasser"

Food Connect

2008-05-25T02:39:00.000-07:00

I have recently become aware of the concept of community supported agriculture (CSA), which involves a partnership between farmers and buyers to produce and consume local, environmentally sustainable food. So, after a bit of googling, I came across Food Connect, a CSA organisation in my local area. They describe themselves as "a dynamic, farmer direct, community food distribution enterprise operating in South East Queensland. We provide genuine food for families, a decent living for farmers, support the nurturing of the land and the establishment of local community networks."

I signed up for a 4 week subscription, which I have just renewed. I have been very impressed with the quality and quantity of the fruit, vegetables and herbs provided. 80% of the produce is certified organic, 10% is in conversion and 10% use environmentally sustainable practices. Because all of the produce is seasonal, I have been so excited about using different fruits and vegetables and planning my meals around what arrives in my box each Thursday. I've even frozen some leftovers (e.g. grated zucchini) so that I can use those vegetables when they are no longer in season, which paying exorbitant prices at the grocery store.

UFO Update #1 / Boxer Shorts

2008-05-23T15:42:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I finished sewing Gareth’s boxer shorts from Simplicity Pattern #9958. It was generally an easy pattern to follow, although I did seem to misread the instructions for the fly …. mine turned into a false fly after I sewed both flaps together. I’ve re-read the pattern and I’m sure I’ve done what is written, but I’m also certain it’s not supposed to be a false fly as there would have been a much simpler way of creating it if it wasn’t designed to be put into use.
I made a size S for Gareth which is plenty big enough. He could probably fit into an XS. When he tried them on he told me they felt a little ‘plume-y’ compared with some of his store-bought boxers, but then he also said he liked that he could squat, walk, ride a bike etc without them riding up too high.

I’m planning on making him at least another 6 pairs, probably more. And then I’m going to try adapting the pattern slightly to make some for me - I’ll probably make the rise a little lower since I like to wear my pants on my hips (and underneath my baby belly overhang) and the leg length a little shorter.

UFO List:

1. Cloth bum wipes
2. Cloth nappies - Cuddlebuns
3. Cloth mama pads
4. Flower garden knee quilt
5. English patchwork knee quilt
6. Japanese fabric quilt
7. Wheat harvesting cross-stitch
8. Watering can of flowers cross-stitch
9. Knitted longies - green
10. Knitted longies - red and purple
~~11. Boxer shorts for Gareth~~
12. Ankle-length pink skirt
13. Curtains for Jambin's playroom
14. Curtains for my outdoor office
15. Bibs

UFO's

2008-05-23T02:27:00.000-07:00

.... also know as unfinished objects, in the arty-crafty world I inhabit.
Sadly, I have many, many unfinished objects. Far too many to list. But in the interests of having some level of accountability for working my way through them, here is a small selection:

Cloth bum wipes
Cloth nappies - Cuddlebuns
Cloth mama pads
Flower garden knee quilt
English patchwork knee quilt
Japanese fabric quilt
Wheat harvesting cross-stitch
Watering can of flowers cross-stitch
Knitted longies - green
Knitted longies - red and purple
Boxer shorts for Gareth
Ankle-length pink skirt
Curtains for Jambin's playroom
Curtains for my outdoor office
Bibs

Learning to walk

2008-05-23T01:10:00.000-07:00

So far, Jambin can take 10-15 steps unassisted, usually only if he is being coaxed, although he took a few steps on his own initiative today for the first time.

These photos are taken in the Pine Rivers Park at Brendale, an awesome park with an enclosed playground and lots of nice grassy areas for picnics.

Knitting is for Cool People!

2008-05-22T14:54:00.000-07:00

Hahaha .... I borrowed the title of this post from a Facebook group that I noticed last night.

I have never been a knitter. To be honest, I've always previously thought it was a bit pointless. I mean, who wears knitted stuff? What's the point of knitting things that nobody will ever wear?

Well, my eyes have been opened. It all started when I decided I wanted to knit a pair of longies for Jambin, to cover his fitted cloth nappies. My good friend Shannon, who is a self-taught knitter (she attributes this to much video-watching on Knitting Help) is giving me one-on-one instruction in the art of longie-knitting and .... I'm hooked. I feel like knitting is now part of my identity. I could easily become obsessed by this and start acquiring huge stashes of yarn and needles. This is dangerous. I need another craft like I need a hole in the head. But it has begun. I've already begun borrowing knitting books out of the library, reading The Friday Night Knitting Club (such a beautiful book!), bookmarking knitting books on Fishpond online bookstore, such as this and this and this, reading knitting blogs such as the Yarn Harlot, and siging up to Ravelry, an online knit and crochet community (BTW my username on Ravelry is Charys).

This photo is the beginning of my knitting career. I've cast on and knitted 4 rows. I'm using Addi Turbo circular needles, which I'm in love with. I may never pick up a pair of straight needles ever again, although Shannon tells me that I'll need to use double-pointed needles to knit socks, which is my next project

The First Blog Entry

2008-05-21T18:32:00.000-07:00

It's always hard for me to think of something significant and profound enough to say in the first post of a blog or journal. I want it to say something about me, about my purpose for writing this blog. But I also want it to be momentous enough so that when I read back over the entry in 5 years time, it will seem like a beginning; like the start of something big.

In reality, life is a continuum, and there are few absolute beginnings and endings.

So I will say this.

I am me, a 30 year old girl (because I don't feel like a woman yet), mother to my 13 and a half month old son Jambin, wife to my 27 year old animator husband, sister to my 3 sisters and daughter to my parents. At the beginnng of this year, I made the decision to remain a stay-at-home-mum (SAHM) instead of returning to the paid workforce. A hard decision, but the right one for my son and my family, and, I think I'm starting to realise, the right decision for me too. Since I don't intend to sit on my bum all day eating bon-bons and watching Oprah, I want my 'work' now to focus on developing excellence in being a parent, wife, homemaker, and .... reaching my own full potential. There are so many ways I can positively contribute to the lives of the people important to me.

This blog is going to be my record of my learnings and discoveries.

So what is important to me? Well, I believe in attachment parenting and natural family living although I can't tick all the boxes (Jambin was caesarean-birthed and is formula-fed, neither by my choice), I love to be surrounded by beauty, I think fresh air cures nearly everything, I like to create things, I spend way too much time reading other people's blogs who inspire me (more about that later), I have a weakness for chocolate, cheese, books and fabric, I have survived infertility, in a past life I was an occupational therapist, I want to start my own small business, my spirituality is crucial to who I am but often gets neglected, I like to sleep naked with the windows open (but the curtains closed!).

This one's for you Shell!

2008-05-21T04:25:00.000-07:00

This one is for my lovely friend Shell, who patiently continues to check Jambin's blog in the hope that I have posted something.

Playing

2007-08-11T02:49:00.000-07:00

Jambin in the Playgym

2007-08-11T02:48:00.000-07:00

Video - 7 weeks old

2007-08-11T02:47:00.000-07:00

Video - 13 weeks old

2007-08-11T02:46:00.000-07:00

Video - 8 weeks old

2007-08-11T02:44:00.000-07:00

Kicking in the bassinette

2007-08-11T02:43:00.000-07:00

13 Weeks Old - Tummy Time

2007-08-11T02:40:00.000-07:00

I love to eat things

2007-08-10T19:56:00.000-07:00

Trying to stand ...

2007-08-10T19:54:00.000-07:00

Sleepy Eyed Boy

2007-08-10T19:53:00.000-07:00

Wide Eyed Boy

2007-08-10T19:51:00.000-07:00

16 Weeks Old

2007-08-10T19:50:00.000-07:00

Jambin and Kassidy

2007-08-10T19:30:00.000-07:00

He rolled!!!

2007-07-17T03:03:00.000-07:00

Our clever little boy rolled for the first time today ... from his tummy to his back, twice in a row. He was lying nudie on our bed, after a shower with Dad when he did it. Gareth and I were so excited that we cheered really loudly. Poor Jambin - he got such a fright at our cheering that he burst into tears. What a way to celebrate such a momentous moment.

Playgym!!

2007-07-15T04:43:00.000-07:00

His new trick!

2007-07-15T04:42:00.000-07:00

Jambin likes to throw his hands over his face while feeding - maybe he thinks he needs to protect my modesty.

Sleepy

2007-07-15T04:40:00.000-07:00

This is Jambin's usual look after he's finished a feed and is being supported in sitting to have a burp.