Child - sleep + sugar = ?

Okay so I am having one of those sleepless nights where I am doing everything but sleeping.

Could be the birthday low (yes I turned another year wiser when I wrote this but I argued this point with a friend today who asked ‘so do you feel a year older?’ and I thought ‘no because I haven’t aged one year today, I have aged one day each year since my last birthday so the year is not felt in one day …..until perhaps I turn 50! Yikes:)

Anyway, whatever the reason, there was much unsleeping going, wrestling the doona, making a prioritised list in my head of things I should get done tomorrow, what was on my meal plan for dinner tomorrow night, how pissed off I was today at some people…. On and on but very little counting of the fluffy baa fellows.

And the sleeplessness won this battle and here I am typing this blog to you, to me, to anyone who has children or thinks they will one day at 1.45am. Read this because you should care. No more babbling. Promise. Here goes.

I witness things on a daily basis which may annoy me to some degree; people driving poorly, rain on my almost-dry washing, smoking in front of or near children etc. But today I was at a ‘meeting’ where I picked up a child’s drink cup and handed it to his mother saying ‘he dropped his tea : )’

Notice there's a smiley face inside the speech marks because I said it with a smile in my voice as if to say how cute he was drinking tea on such a cold day aaaaaaaaaand was about to gently, gently hint instead of giving him caffeinated drinks, she could give him Rooibos tea which is almost exactly the same. I know they are opposing words, my blog…tutt!

 

But she laughed before I uttered my thought (so I was relieved automatically thinking ‘it already is Rooibos, phew’until she said ‘naaaah, ‘sjust cordial’. Stop. What? Ok why does a toddler need cordial? Maybe she could see the shock in my face as little as I did try to hide it. Apparently ‘…he is a bad eater so we try to get calories into him anyway we can’ Oh dear God give me patience & Jamie Oliver to knock some sense into this woman. Wanted to ask if she had ever heard the term ‘empty calories’ but I felt like I was looking at a wall. Any way we can huh?

 

 

Why do I care about this kid? I don’t really. I mean I do but not enough to get personal with his mum. What I do hate, hate, HATE, (yes there will be hating in this article in UPPER CASE no less), is that my child, my children have to share their world with him and her. Sounds selfish. Tough. My kids don’t need to learn behaviours from an over-sugar comatose kid drinking cordial from a sippy cup no less because he is still that young that he still needs to call it that. Abuse my friends. Plain and simple.

  

Don't get me wrong. I love sugar, we go way back. And even McArches. I ate it as a kid and was not really guided into a healthy eating way of life. I used to eat nutella sandwiches for lunch and have soft drink with dinner every night. But I turned out you might argue (for those who know me, at least I hope you will argue I turned out at the least alright!) but I choose that. Their is a risk other children raised this way will not. Is that a risk you are willing to take? As well as all the diabetes, liver failures, cancers, heart related diseases that are out there? 

 

 

And on that topic, WTH [that is 'what the hell' for you swearers out there who couldn’t work that one out : ) ] is with kids bedtimes?? Why not? Since I'm having a rant.

At our recent parent teacher night I met my child’s  friend’s parents (so many apostrophes editor please fix before publishing)(there, blame passed), who confessed with a shrug of the shoulders that their kids went to bed at 11pm most nights (we are talking about first graders aged 6 and 7) and the others ‘just whenever they fall asleep on the couch watching tv’

I really think it’s a sad day when parenting has come to this. Are you the fricken parent? Then tell them what they NEED to do. You don’t ask a child that age if they would like to drive the car to their friends, do their own washing, pay the bills online, wear make up (I hope) because………they’re not old enough to. See easy. You say ‘hell no’ and it doesn’t happen. You give a child only food that they like, how about giving them food that likes them sometimes?

I know some kids are not as easy but parenting has to be from the parent, not the child getting away with whatever they can to the limit of it just being ok with the parents. I know that’s the easy way to avoid confrontation & arguments but guess what, still happens right?

Call me old fashioned but that’s the way it goes.

I can’t change any ones children nor do I have any desire to but when it affects the world in which my children live in and watch and learn from, then whose responsibility is it? Not the schools, not the neighbours, not mine. The parents… oh yes, them.

Very sensitive issues I know and there are many other to worry about like world hunger and more local issues at community level but yeppers...... I do worry about them and do my part for those things too. This is not at all about me & what I do so please don’t pat me on the back. This is about what the masses are doing out there to their kids, not with their kids, it’s ‘to’ their kids. They are abusing them.

I will start a Jamie Oliver revolution at our new school if I can because I feel the principal there will support it but for everyone else, it has to come from someone like you. And if not from who you, from who?  If there is someone out there who cares more about your child's health more than you, then please ask them.

 

(Study on children drinking caffeinated drinks http://indianapublicmedia.org/eartheats/75-young-children-drink-caffeine-study-finds/)

(photo credits various all through Google Images.)

 

 

 

You say potato

I mostly write my blog for me. Memories of what we have done as a family or my personal thoughts... like a diary for me to look back on in years to come. But for anyone else who has read them, you will know that I am pretty hung up on food. And my kids. And making food with my kids. And being healthy.

So when I was faced with a challenge of replacing my butter with a spread by Meadowlea, I accepted with some sceptisicm. Not a sceptic of Meadowlea or their abilities to make something yum, but more so of me being able to give up on my French 'Lescure' imported butter that costs me $10 for 250grams.

Sounds a bit snobby I know but I do love my gourmet foods. Apart from saving me some serious dough though, this challenge might also save my little ticker (65% less sat fat than butter).

These are some of the chicken tortillas we made with the kids this week (butter meadow lea them on one side, fill with your fav savoury ingrediants, sandwich with another tortilla on top & pan fry lightly till all melty & gooey). A bit like a Spanish toastie :)

 

 
So far there has been no difference. Taste wise, my family hasn't grunted 'but muuuuuuum, it tastes different" however I have noticed that it does look different when heated then cooled. Not better or worse, so it has been easy to do the switcheroo and there wouldn't be any reason to undo the 'roo either.
 So you say potato, I say putatoh. You say butter, I say Meadow Lea!

Father's Day

We had a picnic for fathers day this year. It's not a tradition(yet), but the weather forecast seemed promising and I wanted to get the kids active, not just sit in another cafe.

We were going to go into the Dandenongs but ended up at Albert Park Lake after a long chain of events altered our location.

Once we got there the kids got right into it. I felt a bit left out and like I was missing out on spending time with my family. The moment we got their they got straight into it. They had done so much and I hadn't even got half way through feeding Ashar. They were all over the playground, were ready for a bike ride AND had played a round of kick to kick with their Dad within minutes.

Some time later and once Ashar was asleep, we enjoyed our picnic lunch and had another play and did our Great Daddy Gift Treasure Hunt. Shaan being two, was wondering why we left presents all over the park and kept picking them up & returning them. 

Part two consisted of me having a chance to run around (puff, puff, puff.....) and finding out some beautiful friends of ours were at the same location.

There were a few competitions which took place...

Best handstand (you decide!)

 

 

Biggest sunglasses

And a lookalike competition. Apple. Tree.

We had a happy get together and the girls marched around wonderfully together. It always helps to have friends that you love who have kids which your kids love.

Suprisingly we all got sunburnt lips & noses on this second day of Spring, but a nice hot bath & fruit salad once we got home worked wonders.

Breastfeeding a baby is sometimes a lonely job, especially when everyone else is playing and having fun but today was about the kids having their Dad available to them to no end and that's what he did.

He is the backbone of our family and plays a very important role, like all loving Dads, so I have decided I didn't really miss out on anything. I have everything I could ever dream of.

Yo family so big....

I haven't really considered our family to be 'big' before.

Each of our four children came along planned and I knew before I had had any children that I was on my way to four. These days families with two children seems to be the average for my friends (pppffft, amateurs) and sometimes there's a third 'mistake' :)

Lately I have been paying attention to little things indicating that maybe we are big. So how do you know if you have a big family?

When there are a family of slippers that live at your front door...

When your refrigerator is often mistaken for the supermarket milk department...

When your Medicare card is not a Medicare card. It is Medicare cards, plural! (Seriously they couldn't use a smaller font to make us fit on one card or is this some sort of sick joke they play on 'big' families?)

When there is more than just a 'his' and 'her' towel in the bathroom...

You know you have a big family when you have to complete a headcount when leaving the house and you still can't answer the question immediately when asked at a restaurant 'how many for?'. We just seem to look around at each other waiting for someone else to answer.

Now that's big! : )

Dear Donna

I don't know about you, but when I crave something, I have to have it. It doesn't matter if it's right at that moment, that day, that week or some time that month. As long as I have it. You see you might think to satiisfy a craving a month after the desire for it is not that satisfying but you would be wrong to assume this in the world of Sev. In fact, it intensifies in this time and doesn't leave my mind until it has been fulfilled.

Today I satisfied another craving.Donna Hay hot jam donuts and Granny Smith donuts.

Off the topic sort of, doughnuts (they are made from dough) or donuts??

We made them and we enjoyed them. A little too much.

The kids ended up eating fresh green apples instead after their donuts to get over the sugar hit. Happy Sunday : )

Accidental party

Last weekend we celebrated Shaan's birthday.

I don't normally have big parties for anything but their baby showers or their first birthdays. That is unless there is something else that is worthy of celebrating & I throw a double celebration party.

That wasn't the case this time. And by big I mean inviting all of our friends and family and making an effort to have a theme that flows from decorations to food to take home party bags (I don't call them lolly bags & if you have been a guest at my parties you'll know why).

It started off with my folks saying they were going to come around for a visit so I thought I'd invite my sister - oh, and of course Alex's Dad & brother...oh and my BFF. We never do really get to catch up as often as we'd like so I have to grab any oppurtunity.

Oh and maybe one other friend who I haven't seen in a long time. And God, must invite my neighbour.. she has been a life savour these last few weeks. And a friend I love dearly who over the years is almost my 2nd chance BFF. Hmm...

I found I was faced with that horrible situation of not knowing where to stop. My non-party was turning into a major do. And then Alex started asking if it would be too much to invite this person or that. I found myself saying 'yeah it's just another two people' but then arguing with myself that if I invite them then I should extend my circle and invite another few.

It's very tricky being able to keep these things small without offending anyone but I had to draw the line and kept it at just our four chosen friends - for this event. Our future parties will probably be another mix of people or just everyone again. Not sure which is harder!

Birthday boy had a great time, loved blowing out his candles, loved the attention when being sang to and most of all loved his new boy toys (he's finally got trucks & cars instead of just his sisters strollers to push  around)

We love you very much Shaan Jemil, x

T.t & pee pee

Today is a very special day. A very special someone is celebrating something that will be remembered for a long, long time each anniversary. Her family will treat her like royalty. She will be adored by those close enough to let her know what a great achievement she has made and it will be remembered as the historical event that it deserves to be. Today, my three year old F I N A L L Y worked out toilet training.

Oh yeah, and it's also the Queen's birthday. Pffft.


Training my first daughter was done in a day at our second attempt. One single day. Wees and poos and out of night nappies in a weeek. This time it has been completely different, with the training going on and off over the last six months or so. One day, six months...Big difference and a hell of a lot more nappies (and frustration)too.

Being the second child everyone told me how much easier it would be with her. Heck, easier than one day? I thought that should mean she would turn two, rip off her nappy and climb up onto the toilet herself. Spoiler alert; that did not happen. Not even close.

However, with the constant discussing of it, keeping positive, waiting for her to show signs of readiness, reading books with her on the topic, promising anything she could think of in her wildest dreams (actually she asked if she could pat a dolphin when she was trained..damn wild dreams!), and making it a fun and pleasant experience (we'd read books to her in there whilst waiting for that magical sound of tinkling, I'd sing and just about do a Broadway performance to keep her on there as long as possible, we even bought a musical fairy potty for her to 'enjoy' whilst watching tv), nothing worked.


Until this weekend. Thank you long weekend.

We tried over the Summer, spent whole weeks at home in the holidays focussing on it but the one thing that didn't factor into our equations was her desire to be out of nappies. She didn't care. This weekend, she just decided.

I've had her in nappy pants for two and a half days to make sure it wasn't another false alarm (we had a few hit and miss attempts recently), but yesterday when we were out all day and her nappy was
still dry after 12 hours, that feeling of frustration became relief.

The tricky part about this new stage is knowing how strong her bladder and sense of control is. We were on the way back home last night and she very happily announces with a song 'M-um, Daaaaad, I have to ......pppppppeeeeeee'. How long do you want to make an 'in-training' pre-schooler wait? We can't use the at-the-next-servo-that-comes-along trick that works on the five year old. We exit and drive for what seems a further 15 minutes in the only part of Melbourne with no service stations, no shops, no Golden Arches and all those other great p-stops.

Short of knocking on someones door, we pull into the first place we see with lights on; a 24 hour drive through florist. The male attendant politely allows my pyjama clad princess to use the toilet. How could he not?

Today at breakfast, she runs back to our table at the cafe and announces 'I did a pee in the toi-let!' and the girls on the next table smile with admiration and then I see one reach for her phone almost instantaneously to post on Facebook '...what this little girl at the next table just sang out..Lol'.

SO now this very cute blog about my gorgeous daughter is about to end in too much information and a little bit grossly (unless you're a parent). She has been delighted to look back into the toilet to see what she has achieved but today when her poo dissappeared, the look on her face was priceless. I tried hard not to laugh but I assured her she did do a poo, it just washed away before she could see it.

And that for me is priceless. Thank you Zahra. I am a very happy mummy. x