It's HOT!

Feeling a bit silly. It really doesn't get anywhere near as hot here as it does in Adelaide but we're all wilting this summer. I think the much higher humidity does make a big difference and the fact we only have airconditioning in my room isn't helping. BUT we have a pool. Oh my there is nothing better than running up there when we're super hot and sweaty and it is the best mood improver we have in summer. As I sit in our room with all the kids having a rest, we're already planning to get in the pool super soon! I may or may not be also pricing (and dreaming of) airconditioning for next summer....

operationMOVE

So this year is going to be about me. Well just a little bit, my kids are just up there because they're awesome. There's a few things going on but one of them is about me getting fit. If I'm honest with myself I probably haven't been fit since kindergarten. I don't really like exercising and getting sweaty, I'm a libran princess after all. But I like the idea of being fit and I want to be happier with my body. I'm past (mostly) the whole I need to lose half my body weight rubbish but I want to run with my kids and set them a good example. Anyway... I've been watching Kate and others on twitter and facebook make it look mildly interesting and decided to jump in for the new year. So far so good too! I'm on week two of the 'ease into 5km' app which seems to be about doing bursts of running and walking with more running and less walking as the sessions go on. I'm not looking too far ahead so I don't get freaked out ;) Husband is doing it too, I'm sure he'll streak ahead of me soon but whatever, right?! It's only 3 times a week so hopefully, something I can keep up :)

blogging bug

It's been so long since I've posted but I still find myself thinking of things to blog, years down the track... I'd really like to make a more concerted effort to blog again, it's been lovely reading back on my posts to see what happened when! Life is so different now but still the same in lots of ways... different location (Brisbane residents now) and an extra child but similar issues and the same amazing husband... Anyway not in a mood for a recap so will start again from here.

Easter eve magic

So I've just gone about scattering way more chocolate than is healthy for 3 children to eat in what will likely be less than 12 hours. Thankfully I've managed to put a fair bit of it away (ie I've scoffed it) to lessen the pain tomorrow. It got me thinking anyway about my commitment to the whole Easter bunny game. I love the Christmas magic and will defend my right to lie to my children about FC to the death but we've never really gotten into Easter Bunny. I recall the easter 5 years ago, when Mark had to go outside with a cricket bat to reassure our, at the time 2 year old, terrified son that the Easter Bunny wasn't hiding out there waiting to get him. A story my now 7 year old son found hilarious this evening, lol! Anyway, my kids are very much into it and I have a feeling that if I drop the ball on this particular fantasy then the rest will fall like a house of cards and I'm in no way ok with that. My lovely daughter lay awake for hours this evening listening for sounds of the bunny (one has to wonder what on earth she thought she'd hear!) and I know there will be much excitement in the morning until the sugar low hits. Ride the wave hey?!

Yes I know that easter is about so much more than chocolate, the 'real' meaning of these type of holidays is something I always struggle with as an atheist. I really don't have a problem with celebrating them, I see easter and christmas as cultural rather than specifically religious, especially when you look at the pagan origins. Easter kind of sucks for us in the Southern hemisphere in that regard. It's supposed to be about new life, spring etc and the reality is that everything's dying here or at least going to sleep for the coming winter. And the question is, what do I tell my kids. Well, this year I haven't brought it up. Fact is I just haven't had time to think about it, too much going on to have deep discussions with my 7 and 5 year old about different meanings of easter/ spring/ autumn equinox! In previous years we've discussed the christian version of easter as well as what the egg symbolises with pagan background (well as much as I know about it, which is pretty much nothing!). We did, however, dye/ paper mache the eggs in the photo. At least that's something :P I also bought 3 baskets from the op shop for collecting in the morning. Ah well, maybe next year I'll have more time to research it all in advance and start easter traditions/ rituals that don't only involve chocolate. In the meantime, the kids still fell the magic :D

Random

Laying in bed with foo having a booby marathon with a high fever and reminiscing about my now three year old looking almost the same at almost the same age (an earlier post, can't do the fancy link on my phone).
Where does the time go? Seems like just yesterday...
Anyway, sick foo means no work for me tomorrow. Suspect this is a slow down sign for all of us. Life is way too busy with renovations and easter and..well 4 children and a cat really! So, trying to enjoy snuggling my little hot water bottle nourishing him with my milk and resting myself. Way too much to do this weekend (5 day long weekend!) to have sickness in the house.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:My bed

lots going on...

blink and a month has gone by...
We've been super busy renovating. Our kitchen is mostly in. just working on the trimmings, wall shelving etc and then onto the laundry, deck roof and painting. Not much time for blogging. When I finish in the evening it's usually close to midnight and I'm trashed!
Big news is that it's all in aid of selling our house for a move to Brisbane. Exciting times!

Insanity

That week at the end of the school holidays where everyone else's kids are back at school and mine are not. That week where I have nothing left to give and they know this, taking advantage of it. That week, by the end if which, my children really want to go back to school to get away from their crazed mother. This one is extra special because I haven't been to work in over seven months and am extra specially crazy.
I love my children but oh my goodness I love them more when I'm not with them 23/7. *sigh* ok back to it before they kill each other..


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:My house

another chuck out

It's Tuesday! My blog has become boring, I realise, but I want to get this habit going so stick with me ;)
Today is a bit of a failure. I had a pile of things to give back to friend this morning but I let her leave without them, bugger. I am going to her house tomorrow and WILL take them then, so baby rocker and bumbo will be gone. The jolly jumper frame did go however so my children will no longer be beating the crap out of each other with long steel poles- win!

I don't feel too bad, on the weekend, I went through probably a couple of metres (quite literally!) of filing including all the paper work from the NICU course. It took me a whole day and I totally filled the recycling bin, felt very good! We actually got our room pretty clean, which lasted all of 5 minutes. It's now full of baskets of clean washing again *sigh*

Chuck out Tuesday

Yes it's Monday. I could lie and say I'm early but I'm super late. I did in fact DO the throwing out on Tuesday however.
So...something that has been building up a long time...the sock basket. Talking to others it seems everyone has some sort of odd sock pile. For me it started as a shopping bag and it's grown through several moves to the point where I had a washing basket FULL of odd socks. Some of which hadn't seen their best friend for 5 years or more! I emptied the entire basket onto the lounge room floor and employed the talents of my two biggest to find the pairs.

Their attention spans helped with probably half of them and then my three year old whirlwind joined in throwing the socks all over the house. My resolve faltered, I was getting bored with it myself. So. I gathered all the left over odd ones. I threw them all out! (Well there were a few that were recent and I don't think had even been worn, I saved about 6 say). It was strangely liberating, I found the matching sock for one of my wool playgroup socks a couple of days later and threw it out without hesitation. I have vowed NEVER to let them get to that stage again and will be having a monthly sort and chuck session!

I got started on this Tuesday's chuck out already and I have a few things to pass on to a preggo mama tomorrow. I'm really enjoying a weekly throw out :D

Chuck out Tuesday

Yes it's Wednesday, I know. Let's just pretend...
In an attempt to de clutter and have a serious sort out of what we need to aid big things coming (more on that later) I'm going to throw out/ give away something every week. Hoping that the outgoings are more than the incomings and by the end of the year...well we'll at least have less shit!
So last week's chuck out Tuesday I took several bags to the op shop. Yesterday I gave ALL my teeny baby clothes away including cloth nappies. A few teary moments but mostly relief to have a bit more space in the garage. It was a heap of stuff...poor M's station wagon boot was stuffed. Mark was very proud, lol! However, it barely made a dint tbth. SO next week I think I'll continue with garage stuff!

back to normal

It's been a busy month since last post...
It started with a pinched nerve in my neck. It was absolutely revolting, the worst pain I've ever been in. My neck actually felt fine, it was my shoulder and arm. Horrid nerve pain with constant spasming in my arm. At one point Mark wanted to call an ambulance! It was a week all up with lots of drugs and not being able to be alone with the children. I couldn't even pick up the baby and feeding him was agony. Poor Mark had to make Christmas dinner, he did a stellar job!
It meant that we had to delay our Brisbane trip. We were supposed to leave boxing day but there was no way we could with me unable to move my arm (there was a little improvement but I still couldn't hold the baby!) so we decided to leave on the 28th instead. I was MUCH better by then thankfully, we did consider just cancelling the whole thing. Fast forward to 5am on the 28th, car all packed, just to load the kids. I went to wake the big boy to find him vomiting in his bed! On to the princess and she was looking very green and complaining of a super sore tum. I was ready to give in then but Mark wanted to keep going so on we went. By the time we'd made it through town we'd stopped three times to empty vomit bowls and it pretty much continued on the same until about 40 minutes our of Broken Hill when the baby projectile vomited and the toddler had diarrhoea. We decided to just stay in Broken Hill for the night. If things weren't drastically better by morning we'd go home. Of course by that night the kids were keen for a maccas dinner so much better. The baby had awful nappies but was as smiley as ever so Mark packed up the car at 4am to try to make up for the time we'd missed on day 1. I woke up at 2.30 with it. OMG I hate to vomit. I decided we'd go on given the kids were better quickly and we managed to do 1000kms that day with me feeling much better by the end. Day three was positively pleasant although the amount of water about was pretty shocking.
We had a great holiday there, probably our best ever! Unfortunately my baby who likes to stick his fingers in everyone's mouth gave everyone gastro but thankfully it was just one day. Kids cried the whole way home, they miss their cousins :( Relatively uneventful trip home other than sadly missing catching up with friends in Canberra :( They had one child vomiting and we just couldn't face another gastro! And a scary drive through a flooded road just out of Brisbane.
Mark back at work today, so our first official day at home alone. Sorry for a boring update but needed to get it out :P

happy day

I meant to blog about this the other day...
On Friday I went to a new salon to get my eyebrows waxed and the waxer was chatty as they are. She asked if I'd had a busy day so far and I was about to reply not really when I decided to actually admit to my busy day. In the scheme of things it really wasn't, but I'd gotten two kids to school, taken two more to the doctors where the youngest one was vaccinated. Taken them home and whilst comforting the baby (really he was fine) I hung out a couple of loads of washing and brought some in, folding putting away etc etc before picking up the two at school and bringing them home, making lunch for all whilst scoffing mine to be able to get eye brows waxed.
I added that I had four children, so was often pretty busy, opening myself up to the usual veiled criticisms I get. But no! She said...how lovely, I really want to have four children! I would have been floored had I not been lying down already. I kind of stuttered about how blessed we are. Then she even commented that our princess was lucky to have three brothers, not the usual, how disappointing! Really made my day :)

Slacktivism

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slacktivism

I didn't know there was a term for it!

I have been quite disturbed by the recent 'replace your profile pic with a cartoon character for child abuse' thing on facebook. Such as this:

Change your facebook profile picture to a cartoon character from your childhood and invite your friends to do the same. Until monday (Dec. 6) there should be no human faces on facebook, but an invasion of memories..(FOR THE FIGHT AGAINST CHILD VIOLENCE!)

 I didn't really get the link between cartoons and child abuse and thus posted a question, getting varied responses. It bothered me just as much as the 'put your bra colour as your status update' thing and the 'tell us where you keep your handbag as your status update' thing, all for breast cancer although I also found those meme's insulting as a woman (I'm no girl!). It wasn't the causes themselves, I am no fan of breast cancer or child abuse, I just really don't get how this aids those causes in ANY way.
I've heard the 'it increases awareness' argument and just don't agree. Do people *really* think about the issue? Probably some do, but I suspect the majority copy and paste, have fun funding a pic of their old cartoons and then don't really give it a second thought. And even if they did think about the issue, what is in the information there to give them food for thought? There's no link to give them further information so perhaps they'll be thinking about child abductions and murders, or those horrible cases you see on TV where the children are seriously harmed by their parents. Without going searching for themselves, they won't be able to think about the subtle signs children might exhibit when they are being abused. They won't know what to do about it if they do recognise these signs. It was the same with the two breast cancer campaigns. No link on how to check your breasts, to donate money etc. My point is it. does. nothing. The above wiki link even suggests that this arm chair activism can be harmful..

The acts also tend to dilute awareness campaigns

Interesting...so people think their at least increasing awareness but perhaps everyone just become more immune to the message? I know I usually just roll my eyes when I see the ones that proclaim '97% of people won't post this message, will you be one of the 3% that do?'. I don't even read the message. I'm sure the people who start these messages mean well, but I think they are wasting their time.

This is not to say I am not just as guilty. I sign online petitions and then delete the email that follows asking for money. I do donate when I can but can't possibly give money to all the causes I care about. I've joined facebook causes groups that probably do nothing. My hope from groups such as anti circumcision groups is the awareness thing but I guess people who are going to mutilate their baby boys would just eye roll at that too. I would probably still argue that the people on the fence might read more into it but I really don't know.I guess I could do more but I still donate hours a week to volunteering as it is, not sure I have much more to give!

So, what's the point? Well those status things annoy me :P Bigtime. It got me thinking about all these types of time wasting things.  There are so many things going on in our world that just get ignored. I briefly saw hundreds of people were killed yesterday in Columbia (I think, I'm not even sure, it didn't make headlines), an Australian citizen is about to be arrested via interpol, supposedly charged with having consensual sex without a condom. Seriously. Yet our media reports it as sexual assault and molestation and very few are batting eyelids. Nothing to do at all with him running an organisation embarrassing world governments of course. Why do so few people care? Could it be because they're too busy pasting cartoon characters to their facebook profiles? I know that's waaay oversimplifying matters, but it's happening all the time. Increasing awareness (well not really) while completely blissfully unaware ourselves. While I was going on and on about this to Mark the other night, it struck me as very similar to his favourite quote

Religion is the opiate of the people

By Karl Marx. Maybe a modern version of that would be social networking fluff? I'm sure it still rings true with fundamentalist religious types but maybe that what the rest of us are doing? I'm no conspiracy theorist, I don't think this is the work of the 'new world order' or anything :P Maybe just human nature to find some way of sticking our heads in the sand....

Just want to point out...I don't really know enough or have an opinion of wikileaks or the chap running it, I am quite troubled though by this arrest thing!

Breast sharing...

With the increasing popularity of eats on feets I really love that breast milk is being recognised as the normal milk. I think that it will help our society to see that breast milk and artificial baby milk are NOT equal, not just another option that doesn't really matter. Feeding a baby with anything but breast milk is a risk, something I don't think is recognised. These risks are well publicised, increased risk or auto immune disease (type 1 diabetes, eczema, asthma, etc), childhood cancers, obesity etc etc. Yet when they are reported in the media, they change it to 'benefits of breast feeding' which kind of makes it an unattainable ideal. It tells women that breast feeding is the best and as we know, in life, few achieve the best. It's supposed to reassure women who have 'failed' to that their best was good enough but I suspect for those in that boat, it probably does the opposite. The fact is, women don't fail. They are failed. Again and again. The doctor tells them not to worry, formula is fine. He could have just told her that lots of women feel their supply is poor, or that lots of women struggle with x,y,z and here is some tips to get through it. Or if they don't know, here is the number for someone who does. They are treated like fools in hospital both when birthing their babies and postnatally. The support they are given fails them and their babies.
So, where am I going with this? I find it heart warming that breast milk is getting some publicity. Lots of people were probably horrified at first but hopefully it'll get them thinking. Hopefully they'll look into the risks of artificial baby milk rather than assume it's just another feeding option. My biggest hope is that it'll filter to health professionals and that they'll look to support women rather than looking for short term solutions to what is likely to not be a huge problem in the first place!

Anyway, I have digressed bigtime.
This came up this afternoon in my online mother's group with Felix. People were quite respectful about it rather then the 'ewwwww' that often is the first response. I have been quite surprised by my own response to the idea of cross feeding.
Intellectually, I think it is the best solution to the problem of lack of breast milk for any baby that can tolerate it. I'd suspect the risk of infection or other risks of cross nursing would be outweighed by the risk of them not receiving breast milk, nevermind the risks of contaminated formula or any other issues that come with the preparation of the milk. In the circumstances where a mother cannot feed her own baby, the comfort a baby would get from a breast, even if not the one that it belongs to, makes it an easy decision for me.
But there it is. A baby receives so much more from breast feeding than just milk. It's an intimate act, one that cannot be compared to bottle feeding. Of course, not every feed is that 'gazing into each other's eyes' kind of feed but lots of them are. There is lots of skin to skin contact, well certainly more than there is with bottle feeding. This is what I struggle with. In the scenario where I am unable or unavailable to feed my baby I am more than happy to have another woman, preferably someone I know and trust, feed my baby from her own breast. It's something I've discussed with Mark, what would he do if I was seriously ill, hurt or dead and we had a young baby. I'm very pleased to report that he said he would call any lactating friend of mine he could to get milk in the short term and get their help and advice in the long term. Where my heart interferes with all this is in more casual arrangements.
The new Harry Potter movie came out a few weeks ago. I *really* want to go see it. I don't really want to take a squirmy 5 month old with a short attention span, both for my benefit and the benefit of the others in the cinema. Said 5 month old thinks bottles are for fools. We're tried a few times, both with bottles and with cup feeding and he is not impressed. A good friend who I trust entirely offered to look after baby Foo so I could go with Mark. This same friend gave my milk to her newborn over a year ago now, but from a bottle or cup, not from my breast. At first thought, this seemed like the perfect solution but then I thought about Foo making those goo goo eyes at someone else and I felt that insane jealousy rise up. Where on earth did that come from?! I've spent a week or so thinking about this and in the end I've realised that it just feels a bit wrong for a movie. The planning it thing seems wrong too. I know that if I left him with her or any other lactating human I trusted and for whatever reason I was delayed and baby was distressed I wouldn't hesitate to say 'feed him!!'
It's been interesting for this to come up. I read about a women and her friend who share feeding their toddlers to the point that the child will chose the other mum to feed with her friend. My first thought was, imagine my toddler rejecting me for another! Clearly I have issues there, lol!

Guess I'm waiting for the DVD release ;)

reshuffle

We took MIL to the airport today, she's been here for a long visit (a couple of months I think) and headed home. We'll see her in a month or so, we're driving (eeek!!!) to Brisbane after Christmas for a visit with Mark's family and my brother.
Anyway, whilst that was big, in bigger news... while in the area, we dropped into ikea. My leeetle baby is now 3 and thus was allowed to go into the play room with the biggest two. Goodness he was excited and then when we go there he completely jammed up and refused to go it. Given we were the first ones there, Mark went in with them for just a few minutes and within seconds he was waved off. They all had a ball and lasted the whole hour! So we got to have a wander about with just the baby, who tried to ruin the moment with the cranks and then a poo :P The toddler had a ball, when he came out he kept saying 'I jumpted in the balls lots and lots!' cute <3
He is growing up so fast. Next year he is starting a 3 year old kindy and he goes from being very excited to saying there's no way he's staying without Mummy! We'll see....

This afternoon we moved the two bigger boys into the smallest room together and gave the princess the larger bedroom. She loves it, and hopefully she'll enjoy a bit more time with her things away from the destructo boys.

2 More weeks of school left then holidays!

EC

Well...I'm tired and Mark is sick so we're planning to go to bed as soon as the princess is asleep so just a quick post to keep the ball rolling..
Today I caught  a wee and a poo and really that's the only time I even tried so pretty happy with that. I totally recognised the poo signs and got the potty ready however he is quite pudgy and I must have had my angle wrong so while the top hat potty caught most of it, I did end up with a fair bit on my pants, lol!

Pretty funky device really, the lip sits nicely on my thighs so I can use it while feeding etc. Only problem is it's too small and I can't really catch wee and poo at the same time so I've taken to making sure hib bottom is covered (or I thought I did!) and popping a prefold over his penis for wees. Ours is red, it goes faster!

Then we totally missed a poo. It should have been ok, he had a nappy on and was in the ergo yet no nappy (disposable anyway, cloth does all right) is able to contain his poo-plosions. Of course this all happened at ballet drop off, which, while MIL is here to watch the bigger boys, has preceded a cuppa at a local cafe with school mums. So poor old F wore a pair of size 5 pink shorts and a big heavy size 1 coat to the cafe. In true baby Foo style, he found it all highly amusing :)

And there we go, one to keep the ball rolling and yet I've bored myself even typing it out :P
I didn't just deal with crap all day, I also had a lovely ABA morning and...well really that is about it.
Onto tomorrow's multiple school runs and playdates, woo! rofl!

musings..

I am listening as I type to the debate on the proposed same sex marriage legislation change. To be frank, I find it pretty embarrassing that in 2010 this actually needs to be debated. WHY DO YOU CARE??? I just don't get it. You don't agree with same sex marriage then don't marry someone of the same sex as you. What anyone else does is the business of those involved any no one else. Quite surprised by the support in parliament tbh, gives me a bit of hope.

In other news... we pulled some vegies today, we got 4 carrots, 2 parsnips and a tonne (well not quite) or potatoes. The kids ate the carrots with the tops still on, washed thankfully!
And I took the younger three today to an EC talk at natures cradle this morning. Not sure I learned anything I didn't know but  good refresher and we'll give it a bit of a go. I've caught a few wees and poos n the last few days which keeps me going. I must say my commitment is pretty low to this, I just don't have the time to put a huge effort in but F likes nappy free time so will keep that going anyway while he likes it. I suspect he'll be on the move sooner rather than later, he rolled back to front for the first time today and is starting to already pull up on his knees.... This could get messy, lol!

I tried today to put into practice some of the stuff from that blog today. Funnily enough the change was pretty instant not with my big boy as I thought but with my tempestuous yet dear daughter who is particularly testing us at the moment. I had a wonderful morning with her this morning. She did lose the plot this afternoon but she doesn't cope with hunger, tiredness or anything like that and she was great this morning. Will try again tomorrow, perhaps with a sandwich in my pocket rofl!!

trying some new things

Ok...I'm just going to pretend I haven't missed 2 years and jump straight back in. ok?!

I like to think we do pretty well parenting our babies. I'm pretty responsive and gentle, they are breastfed to need, sleep wherever they like, no pressure etc etc. It's becoming increasingly apparent that as they get older we revert back to our own childhoods of yelling, smacking and manipulation. Don't get me wrong, I still think we're pretty good parents but the fact is those tactics don't work particularly well. I still think our children are delightful and mostly empathetic little people for their ages, I just find this method is leading to tension and stress we could all do without. SO what to do? I've read quite a few books about what NOT to do but all this natural/ attachment parenting bibles are light on with practical how to's. I think that's their point of course, to help me tailor our parenting to our children's needs. I have tried a bit of this 'let them do what they like and trust them to do the right thing' kind of thing, not sure the official term but it's absolutely not for me, I've come to realise I believe kids need firm yet gentle boundaries as we guide them growing up.
Anyway, this wasn't supposed to be about me learning new stuff, not me lecturing...long story short, I came across this blog last night and particularly this post and it really made sense to me. It's going to be hard for us to change our habits but we both want to and both see how this current method isn't really meeting our kids needs. This blog has loads of great info about gentle parenting, looking forward to reading the rest!

over a year later...

I have just spent a lovely evening reminiscing and reading through my posts here. Seems like a lifetime ago!

We now have 4 children snoozing, our 4th, who didn't even exist last post is 4 months old, another little man. The biggest boy is almost 7 and finishing kindy, very ready for class one, the princess is not long 5 and loving kindy :) My baby boy is not not even really a toddler and was 3 last month, he is such a rough nut and yet so sweet too :) I'm still on maternity leave until February and although enjoying my time at home, I miss work too. Trying to make the most of this time though, it's most definitely my last lot of maternity leave. Mark had a vasectomy while I was pregnant and while I'm a bit wistful, I am mostly relieved and a little excited! Onwards and upwards, onto the next phase!

ooh it's been a while!

Thinking about restarting this. I have really missed blogging, nice to let it out!

Just marking a place and I will come back....soon I hope!