Three Kids & A Pot of Cold Tea

Three Kids & Encouragement from Scripture

2010-02-24T12:15:00.002+11:00

2 Corinthians 9:8
And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

1 Timothy 5:5
The widow who is really in need and left all alone puts her hope in God and continues night and day to pray and to ask God for help.

Philippians 4:19
And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

Three Kids & The End of a Season

2010-02-12T20:34:00.004+11:00

We are officially through the life without 'care' season of our lives. It feels very much like the end of a time and the beginning of a new time.

Pre-school has come like summer rain. With the promise of refreshment for all but not without a rumbling thunderstorm in the clouds before the rain washes everything clean.

Our 3yo has gone off happily and overnight has blossomed. He has been waiting for this. He feels very special and very grown up.

Our 2yo was sad for a day or two and now is thrilled to have mum (and the toys) to himself. He is also now willing to back off a little and give his brother special time with his parents alone, something he could never do.

The baby has benefited from the slowness of days and the quieting of her mother and the new responsibility of her 2yo brother.

The house is starting to look cared for again.

The six weeks prior were very long. Lots of illness, lots of kids fighting (frustrated, bored and sick) and in me lots of anger. Anger, bitterness and unforgiveness. Ugly, ugly sin. I realise now my hard heartedness, I have held on to a lot of this for 3 1/2 years since I had my first child, and it wasn't until two days before pre-school that I was brought to my knees to see it and to repent. I've always been a last minute kind of girl but I marvel at the patience of God, letting me scrape in just before the season ended.

Tip of the Day #51 Visit Allie's Attic Market

2010-01-31T20:50:00.001+11:00

Beautiful kids' designer market if you are free and in Sydney ......

Allie's Attic

10am-3pm Saturday 13 February, 2010

Mosman Art Gallery & Community Centre

Cnr Art Gallery Way & Myahgah Rd

Mosman NSW 2088 - FREE ENTRY

Handmade, unique and original designs.

My neighbour Rachel is exhibiting.

Allie is running a competition to win $100 voucher, to spend on the day, on her blog.

If you are not available, or elsewhere, check out her other market dates.

Tip of the Day #50 Make everyone's lunch with Daddy's

2010-01-27T14:13:00.003+11:00

Lunch - 090107,
originally uploaded by stinky_harriet.

A few times in the last two weeks we have done a pre-school preparation practice run. I've made the kid's the lunches and morning teas before breakfast. It makes the day so simple.

Today I got up at 6.00am with the kids (my husband has been letting me doze till seven on week days for a long time now, since I do a 5.00am feed) made the kids' lunches, my husband's lunch and even my own lunch. I then had time to prepare some steamed veg for the baby without too much hassle. By 7.00am we were all ready to sit down and eat & the day was looking a lot simpler. The kids also get a much more balanced meal because I have lots of compartments in their lunch boxes to fill!

I have really enjoyed being able to be with the kids without needing to start preparing food when they are getting hungry & getting grumpy.

During rest time today I have been able to pre-cook the dinner thanks to some good advice in the comments on my last post. Thanks Again!

Tip of the Day #49 Spend Time Alone with Each of Your Kids

2010-01-23T20:39:00.003+11:00

This is not easy but so rewarding for all. We struggle to do it well. However, this weekend my husband and I have again seen the benefits of dividing to conquer.

My 7mo daughter has come away with me. Having discovered on Thursday that she could commando crawl, only after she disappeared and was discovered under a lounge, I am really excited to be spending precious, undivided time together.

I have also discovered that she can walk holding onto my fingers and she has spent a lot of the day up and rocking on all fours. It is a real treat for her to be allowed to stay on the floor a long while and for mum to be there too. It's an activity that often ends abruptly at home. We have also enjoyed a lot of 'face to face' time. Not just 'I'm holding you but I'm doing something else time."

The boys are having a 'boys party weekend' at home ...with jelly!

Three Kids & A Mini Break

2010-01-23T20:38:00.004+11:00

Furcifer pardalis - Panther Chameleon,
originally uploaded by Thor Hakonsen.

On Friday my husband rang me from work & said, "Go to your parents for the weekend and take the baby. Come back refreshed." Praise God for him.

Friday was one of those bizarre slow motion days when you see everything from the outside. I watched myself, exhausted, drag myself through the day, experience every high & low possible, enjoy my children, then wish, in the next moment, that someone would come to take them away, get housework done, get nothing done, laugh, cry, speak gently, then snap, and yell angrily. I think you could say I was on the knife edge all day with little and large slips to either side at different times.

I was amazed that even though he wasn't there, my husband knew. I couldn't keep going and it was not good to keep trying.

For the past three weeks of illness I have had a rest on Mondays (my parents help out). Then good days Tuesday, Wednesday but then floundered on Thursday and Friday. Saturday & Sunday have helped me pick up again only to repeat the process the following week. The cough continues although the infection is gone.

However, the tiredness is all consuming and I am sapped of creative ideas for caring for my kids. I've seen myself becoming anxious and angry and not being able to do anything about it. I've even had insomnia, something I have never before experienced.

The hardest part has been that my illness has coincided with my 2yo giving up his day sleep (it seems to be a permanent thing) and behaving badly in his tiredness. All my efforts to implement room time or quiet time have been inconsistent because of my energy levels and his resistance.

At the same time all my positive parenting, boundary setting, giving choices and having clear consequences has disappeared. Instead I have turned into Chameleon Mum, completely inconsistent - I'm sure my kids wonder "What will she be like today?" (The experience is helping me to 'forgive' and understand my own parents even more. We do the best we can at the time.)

Thanks to all who are praying & to those who have sent meals. They have been very much appreciated. God willing, I'll be on my feet and in my right mind again soon.

Tip of the Day #48 Look After Yourself Too

2010-01-19T14:02:00.004+11:00

Yesterday I had an appointment with the GP and an appointment with the Naturopath. During both appointments there were moments when I thought, "Why didn't I think of that?". The answer? I haven't been thinking carefully about my own health for a few years now.

I have been careful that my kids get all they need, food, water, sleep, exercise, extra supplements. I have made sure my husband gets the same and yet there are days when I get very little of all of the above.

You could call it selfless, but really it is mostly disorganized and a bit matyrish. I tend not to think about myself at the same time, when it would be ideal (that's the disorganized part.) For example I give everyone their vitamins & minerals etc every morning first thing but don't take mine at the same time. I make everyone else' lunch but only think about my own once everyone else has finished.

Then because the kids have moved on to the next thing I tend to do that too until I get so hungry, I get cranky and have to eat. I don't take my vitamins at all until last thing at night. Similarly, I insist on early nights for my kids but let myself stay up till after 10 when that is clearly too late for someone who gets up at 5am everyday.

It was good to go. Especially to the Naturopath who took me through everything I do. The doctor made me realise part of my coughing is asthmatic, a sign that things are pretty low in my system. It was a good wake up call.

Tip of the Day #47 New Website

2010-01-17T15:48:00.001+11:00

There is a new Aussie website called 2under3.com.au that has some good tips & some articles from mums. You can even write your own. Check it out here http://2under3.com.au

Three Kids & the Preschool Countdown #2

2010-01-17T08:43:00.003+11:00

I think that next week is my last week with three kids at home full time! And not a moment too soon. I think I am nearly worn out! The local play centres have been getting a little too much of my business in the last two weeks since I've had my cough. I'm looking forward to two days a week when I can be a little less divided & a bit slower. I wonder what it will really be like?

Three Kids and Imagination

2010-01-15T14:43:00.003+11:00

My eldest son struggles to play 'with imagination'. I thought it was because I would set him up to play, play a little bit, then go to attend a baby, that he learned to enjoy the making but not the playing.

However, it seems that he just doesn't enjoy imagining. He loves making things but is not interested in playing with them afterwards. We have so many 'Little People' that live untouched in his room. The same goes for his Thomas train set. Not interested. Lego - it's all about the construction.

This week though we have a new understanding of his interests. He will play imaginatively if he can springboard. That is from a story he already knows. He has always loved T.V. a little too much. Again, I thought that was my fault for plonking him in front of it so much. But it seems that he just enjoys stories that other people make up more than he enjoys making up his own. He gets very involved in them. He can imagine himself in them.

This has really become obvious this week. Finally we have bought him a toy that he has become passionate about, other than a cricket bat. A Thunderbird Number 2 (a late Christmas present from e-bay). He has not put it down. He has built Tracy Island out of boxes and cushions and done hundreds of rescues. The craft, colouring-in, story writing (with me typing) that has come out of it is amazing.

It's true, it's all about finding what works for your child and going with it. Looks like we might be visiting e-bay a little more often.

Three Kids & a Cough

2010-01-13T08:41:00.003+11:00

I have a cough. It's is pretty nasty. I have no other symptoms really besides permanent tiredness. Despite the fact that lots of people have had coughs lately , including my eldest son (so I know it is probably viral & I am taking antibiotics) I have been playing it out to terminal lung cancer in my head.

Do other people do this, imagine their own early death and how their kids and husband would be without them? In many ways I would be quite pleased to go home to Jesus for permanent rest but the thought of leaving is overwhelmingly sad.

Quote of the Day #1

2010-01-13T08:33:00.001+11:00

"Sometimes you just have to take the leap and build your wings on the way down."

– Kobi Yamada

Three Kids and Getting out Early

2010-01-08T13:24:00.002+11:00

080718 The Climbing Tree,
originally uploaded by james.garriss.mar08.

We've really enjoyed the summer mornings. Being early risers we have taken the opportunity to get out to parks early before the sun gets too hot.

Where we live we are blessed with a number of parks within walking distance and more within close driving distance. It is a great place to have small children. Lately we've been out the door by 8.15am - some days 7.15am depending on the 6mo. The 3yo rides his 'big' bike or his 'two wheel scooter' (both of which are objects of great pride). The 2yo rides his three wheeled, plastic, motorbike or hitches a ride in the pram. If we ride it takes about 20minutes to get to a park then we stay for about 2hours before heading home.

I've been taking a picnic rug for the baby, snacks for morning tea, drinks and matchbox cars. It is sublime. We are generally the only people at the park for the first hour watching the day come to life. The kids have the run of the trees, the equipment and bike tracks. I can see them from the rug when I am playing with the baby and the baby can see me when I am playing with one or both of her brothers.

By the time other parents arrive, coffee in hand, to rush their children through the swings (sometimes for as little as 5mins playtime) we are very chilled.

The baby has started to enjoy swings and slides with her brothers. Somewhere along the line she will take her morning nap. Some days she sleeps longer than others so I try to have a couple of 'catch up' days at home in the week.

Arriving home we have an iceblock, watch playschool, then the boys tend to play beautifully, with all their toys, having had the chance to let of all their steam before it could build up.

Tip of the Day #46 Stagger Room Time

2010-01-07T16:01:00.002+11:00

Child's Toy • The Mess,
originally uploaded by [ cas ].

We've not had much success till now with 'room time' for my 3yo. What with a small house and a shared bedroom. However, my 2yo is now 'staying up' most days so there is now a 'room'.

Since the holidays I have decided to introduce a staggered room time. Alternating 20mins on their own in their room with 20 minutes on their own with me.

The concept is a good one. We all agree. We have had success in the last 3 days with both boys enjoying playing uninterrupted with their toys and with their mum.

We have also run into a few tantrums when one person arrives downstairs early and thinks the other got a better deal with mum, or when they chose computer games (see PBS Kids) as the activity with mum but then realised that they didn't actually get to play with mum in their dedicated 'mum' time.

It is something that will need some getting used to and I think some scheduling of activities but so far I think it's a keeper. I intend to stretch it out towards an hour. this should take up most of the baby's afternoon sleep time.

Today I think they both needed a sleep instead as they have since crashed on the lounges. It will need a little tweeking but I am excited about the children allowing each other some daily 'space'.

Three Kids & Holidays

2009-12-24T15:26:00.001+11:00

Merry Christmas Everyone.

We're taking some holidays after Christmas. My husband is home at last from work & we're having a break. Hope you are too.

Recipe for Melt and Mix Christmas Cake

2009-12-23T13:12:00.002+11:00

vanilla vodka christmas cake,
originally uploaded by jamesgalpin.

I have never had (made) time to make a boiled fruit cake but I love this recipe (from my MIL) and enjoy cooking it for others. It is a good one to use to make mini cakes, to give away, or two smaller cakes. It is also easy enough for the kids to help you (although cooking with alcohol maybe I shouldn't recommend it......)!

(For a much more complex recipe but one that looks really tasty too - click on the photo)

Melt and Mix Christmas Cake

Ingredients
1.5kg[3lb] mixed fruit [8 cups]
1/2 cup sherry, rum or brandy
1 green apple
1 Tablespoon golden syrup
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
250g [8oz] butter
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1/2 cup self raising flour
1 teaspoon mixed spice
2 tablespoon sherry, rum or brandy extra

Method

1. Place mixed fruit in large basin, add sherry, peeled and coarsely grated apple, golden syrup sugar and eggs: mix well with wooden spoon or hand to break up any large clumps of fruit.
2. Add cooled melted butter, sifted flours and spice: mix thoroughly.
3. Place into 6x 440g tuna tins, or a deep 23cm [9in] round, or deep 20cm [8in] square cake tin which have been lined with 3 sheets of greaseproof paper so that paper stands up around the edge of the tin to a height of about 5cm [2in]. This is to protect the top of the cake during the cooking time.
4. Bake in a slow oven (150 deg C or 300F) Tuna Tins for 1 1/2 hrs, Larger cakes 2 - 3 hrs depending on oven.
5. Remove from oven, brush evenly with extra sherry
6. Cover tightly with aluminum foil, leave until cold. Remove from tin, leaving lining paper intact. Wrap cake tightly in plastic food wrap, then in foil, store in cool dark place or if weather is humid in the refrigerator.
7. This cake will keep for 3 months.

TIp of the Day #45 Collect Your Tuna Tins for Christmas Cakes

2009-12-23T12:51:00.002+11:00

Sealord Caterers Plus Tuna in tin,
originally uploaded by Nuts City Aust Pty Ltd.

400g tuna tins are just the right size for making mini Christmas cakes to give away. Wash them first, otherwise you'd have pretty fish cakes. This is another of my MILs ideas and I have been using her easy melt-and-mix-Christmas-cake recipe to make about a dozen a year for a few years now.

Once the cakes are made, wrap them in Christmassy paper and ribbon and attach a gift tag. Great for neighbours or teachers (and we usually enjoy a few too!).

Unfortunately I didn't get to make any this year, or write Christmas cards for anyone, with the kids so out of sorts leading up to Christmas. I am still going to attempt my firstpudding at some point tomorrow.

Three Kids & Two of Them Ill

2009-12-22T09:34:00.003+11:00

We've had a tricky week with illness. The 3yo has a gastro virus that is quite stubbornly hanging around. The 6mo has a head cold that has affected her sleep, and hence her waking mood too. The 2yo is getting bored and frustrated being the only one well.

Anyone got any great tips for things to do when their kids are sick? We do a lot of homemade ice blocks, T.V. and lying on the lounge, craft and quiet games (Boggle Jnr is a favourite at the moment).

I've been trying to flush out the 6mo's sinuses with saline wash, and am giving everyone lots of probiotics, and kids vitamins and minerals. Unfortunately I haven't had the time to SCENAR as much as I would like but that is what I hope to do more of today. Mostly I am trying to remember to pray since God can help everyone at exactly the same time, when, quite clearly, I cannot.

Tip of the Day #44 Plan Next Year

2009-12-21T19:05:00.003+11:00

I tend to be a last minute planner but since I've entered the world of motherhood I've realised it is not a practical way for a family to run. Particularly if you don't plan your time out! It only leaves you more tired.

We've tended to not ask for help till the last minute or until crisis time. With 3 children, 3 and under, no body else really wants your crisis time thrust on them. Although, I must say this year my parents have risen to the occasion very graciously.

So next year we are planning ahead. Last night, we got out the calendar and wrote in "date nights" for every second month and we've planned 4 one week holidays in the year so my husband never works longer than 3 months at a stretch.

I admit we have not been able to plan holidays for a few years as they have been taken up having babies but this year with no babies on the horizon we are planning time out.

The other thing I am planning, in advance, is some bigger outings with the kids. Twelve outings. Technically, one every month. I am going to invite grandparents, aunties, or friends with their kids depending on the days etc. This way the kids will have some special occasions to enjoy and a better adult to child ratio which makes it possible. Also, it means, I might for once, be initiating a family activity instead of just tagging along on someone else' plans.

Three Kids & a New Baby

2009-12-18T12:59:00.004+11:00

Yesterday, the kids and I visited two brand new babies. Both 3rd children, both in families where the eldest is three and a half. It was so lovely to meet the newborns but it was even more lovely to be six months on.

One of the babies (1 week old) was home already and the family were noticing the children, the middle child especially, acting out, being so tired and traumatised. The other baby (1 day old) was still in hospital but reports from home were that the kids and the Dad were exhausted from the experience.

Those first few weeks are so tough. For a start you've already got two children, 3 and under, which is exhausting. You've been pregnant for 9 months, your husband has been picking up the slack for 9 months already. Then you have the baby.

Birth is physically and emotionally traumatic, no matter how it's done, for both mum, dad and baby but also for the other kids. When they are so young and cannot really understand what's going on it is even worse. They are either shunted off to the Grandparents (in our case for 5 days, having only stayed over night with them once before), or minded for the day of the birth and then back with dad who has not much left to give. They then have to visit, then be separated from, their mother, who they really need, daily and sometimes more often.

When mum gets home, she really needs to be ready to cuddle all day, to make up for the time she's been absent. Instead she comes home attached, at the breast, to a noisy, and not much fun, brother or sister who the kids are expected to treat with gentleness and love. It is hard, hard work.

I found myself so frustrated that I was disciplining, all the time, when all I wanted to do was hold them and say, "This must be so hard for you!" At times I did manage to say those kinds of words and the 3yo could admit he was angry because I was always with the baby and not with him. However, the 2yo in his shock and confusion became a liability for a while, and would not listen to any gentle, understanding words. His situation must have been so hard, he already had to compete for any attention and now all of a sudden, from his point of view, he got none at all unless he behaved badly.

Thankfully, six months on, they have come so far. It is so much easier to do ordinary things. The boys have cooled down with each other and (except for when they are waiting for me in the car) have stopped picking fights to get my attention. The 2yo and the 6mo have built a lovely relationship, the baby has never minded his rough-housing. They now play silly games and laugh together. The 3yo also has a beautiful relationship with the baby, much more gentle, chatty and cuddly.

For my husband and I things have gotten easier too. Our relationships with each of the kids has inevitably changed, but improved as they've accepted the responsibility, thrust on them, of greater independence. They have worked out new and lovely ways to catch us alone for special time. The 2yo seeks us out for cuddles and sits on the kitchen bench when I'm cooking to be close. The 3yo grabs his special time when the others are asleep. The baby now likes hanging out with my husband as well as me and best of all we even get time together most nights.

Three Kids & Dancing on the Tables

2009-12-16T19:51:00.002+11:00

Gene Kelly Singin' In The Rain,
originally uploaded by carlosjtj.

Recently I showed my two boys parts of Singing In the Rain on youtube. We started with Moses Supposes, because I always say the rhyme to them. Up till now they've just thought I was a loon. Now they sing it in the backyard at the top of their voices, while they leap from the trampoline onto the climbing frame.

We followed up with Make Em Laugh and Good Morning. The experience has changed their understanding of dance and music completely!

They now think dancing is a bit like Kung Fu, you do it off the ground; on the dining table, up the walls, on chairs or the lounges. Whatever you do, you do it with feet flying. The 2yo usually asks first, "Moses Poses, Mum, on pable? On pable?"

Thankfully though, it has pulled them sharply out of 'Wiggle' world and kids only CDs. This morning I played The Best of Van Morrison and the Soundtrack from When Harry Met Sally (Harry Connick Jr.) and they were grooving along from the first few notes. Both would have previously met with massive resistance. Wahoo! Life begins again.

Now we just need our own copy of Singing in the Rain before I get 'slowed down' for too many u-tube downloads!

Three Kids and "Careful there, don't snip that part"

2009-12-13T14:18:00.002+11:00

"Careful there, don't snip that part",
originally uploaded by israelhill.

Sometimes I wonder, "Will my 2yo make it through his childhood intact?" I have to hope and pray that he will, by Jesus guiding hand, (a bit like in this picture), because surely there is no other hope.

This morning he tried to circumcise himself with his craft scissors. Sitting quietly beside me, foreskin at full stretch, he had already started to apply pressure when I looked down and screamed, "No!" Praise God, he stopped cutting and didn't castrate himself in shock.

It has been a week like this, in fact most of his life is like this. I've said before, on this blog, that he is a 'limit seeker'. It doesn't look like he is planning to 'grow out of it' in the near future which leaves me on permanent danger alert.

Earlier this week he managed to pull down a 2m mirrored door in his bedroom, while trying to get himself a pair of undies. (He is toilet training himself at the moment - I am using the "no you can't toilet train yet," method which just makes him more determined. He is doing very well all on his own. I just make him wear nappies when we go out and at bedtime.) This enormous heavy
glass panel came crashing down with a sickening noise. Glass fragments sprayed everywhere, except by God's grace, on our 2yo.

Two days before that he was jumping, with his brother on a bed, managed to land his nose on a hidden bit of wood, which started a massive nose bleed. However, he refused to sit still to let me hold the end of his nose to stop the bleeding. Instead he had a head shaking tantrum (clearly frightened of the blood and in a lot of pain). Blood went everywhere.

I'm yelling, "Just let me help you!"

He's yelling, "No, Me no want that, me no like that!"

His bother's yelling, "It's ok, Mum's just going to help the blood."

It was not a Little House on the Prairie moment. None of them were, but at least I'm reminded that I am not in control in this life and the one who is is guiding my beautiful 'life to the full' fellow, safely through, as per His own plan.

Tip of the Day #43 Do a Pre-Christmas Toy Cull

2009-12-12T20:23:00.004+11:00

Today was unusual and wonderful for us. My husband and I spent 2 hours straight doing jobs and nobody complained!

We went to a great 2yo birthday party for lunch, no lollies, the kids had a ball, and came home sane! We arrived home at 2pm. The 6mo and the 2yo were asleep in minutes and the 3yo was thrilled to bits when we agreed he could watch T.V. on the lounge.

2 hours later I had finished culling the kids toys - baby toys, boy toys, bath toys and outdoor toys. I threw out anything broken, collected a pile of unused toys for charity, washed and bagged anything that was on loan, ready to be returned. Then I returned everything, that was stray, to its place.

It was very cathartic and there is now room to receive a few new things at Christmas without too much clutter.

I am trying to have less and less toys 'out' the older the kids get - they tend to play better when there are less toys to distract them from the one they have. I don't have any strict rules on this. I know people who insist on 'one toy only' but that would be tricky in our house, since we have two boys who mostly want to play with the same thing.

I have one friend who boxes all her toys and numbers the boxes 1 - 10. She then has them on a ten week cycle, I think she keeps the staple things like Lego out permanently but that is how she deals with the clutter. Personally, I am not that organised and I like being able to go with a theme as it arises, but it works really well in her house.

Three Kids & Six Months On Update #3 Dinner, Bath & Bedtime

2009-12-11T12:58:00.002+11:00

Dinner, Bath & Bedtime

The three kids finally eat together and if my husband is home (3 nights) we join them. The boys' manners and ability to sit still at the table and eat a whole plate of food have really come along. The 3yo will now eat what we are eating but the 2yo is still fussy.

I tend to bath the baby quickly, before the boys get in, then dress her while they bathe. She is too long to lie in the bath with them now. The boys get dressed and play while I feed her the last meal of the day and put her to bed. It makes a huge difference that they can both get themselves in and out of the bath safely and dry themselves, in a fashion.

We have about an hour together to play and read stories before bed. Finally the 2yo enjoys stories and sits still for them more often than not. I've found the best place to read together is our bed as it is neutral territory and I can cuddle on two sides. Our lovely long reading sessions are a far cry from the first few bed time stories after the baby was born.

Three Kids & Six Months On Update #2 Daytime

2009-12-11T12:57:00.004+11:00

Days

The days have taken on a variety of rhythms over the 6 months, things are definitely easier the older everyone gets. My 3yo has dropped, then picked up and dropped again, then picked up again his day sleep. Currently he has one every 3rd day or so. My 2yo has just started to not need a sleep once or twice a week. The baby is down to two sleeps a day.

It has taken me 6 months to not 'need' to be alone, for a 'break'. Finally, I don't expect it so I don't get cranky.

We have cut out T.V. almost entirely - the result is less fighting, less defiance and more craft, parks, backyard, books and games. A lot more activities are driven by the children's imaginations. This, combined with the fact that they are six months older and have been doing it for six months longer, means they are much more able and willing to find an activity to occupy themselves without help. Before the baby was born the boys rarely pulled a toy out of a toy box without consulting me. (It was quite time consuming!)

The final straw with T.V. came when the 3yo tried to strangle his brother because it was the 2yo's turn to choose. T.V. was making them cranky, especially early morning T.V., we had passed the stage where they were happy to watch whatever we put on for them. There was no way we could leave them alone together in front of the T.V. anymore. We tried giving them a choice, and they took turns, but that only made things worse.

Interestingly we were using T.V. because we were so tired, waking up before 6.00am everyday for 3 years, that we didn't really want to have to 'think' about playing so early with cranky and whiny children. However, since we've cut it out, we've realised that the kids don't wake up cranky and whiny they are only like that once the T.V. goes on. They generally play beautifully.

Three Kids & Six Months On Update #1 Breastfeeding

2009-12-10T18:10:00.009+11:00

N.B. I started this post yesterday, My 2yo who is starting to drop his day sleep fell asleep at 3.50pm, I thought, for the night, the baby was in bed by 5.30pm and the 3yo by 5.50pm. Everyone was exhausted. I thought I was going to have hours to get stuff done. Then the 2yo woke up at 6.10pm thinking he still had an afternoon up his sleeve. So there went any ideas of blogging until about 9pm. Then my husband found this great Brain Training Website http://www.lumosity.com with a week's free training and thought he'd sharpen up. By 10.30pm I had put myself to bed, thinking I'll just finish tomorrow.........

The baby is six months old today.

I thought, since I have 3 kids asleep before 6pm and a husband not due home till 8pm, I'd spend a minute doing a '6month update' before I open my eyes to the bombsite around me.

Breastfeeding;
What a difference! I can't really believe I set up this blog and wrote so often. I was breastfeeding for hours by myself. In the first few weeks it was 7hours a day, all those early mornings and late nights and middle of the nights.

Now I feed only 4 times a day for 10-20 mins and baby eats 3 solid meals. I never 'blog and feed'. The baby wouldn't let me, neither would the boys, These days the 5.30am feed & the 5.30pm feed are quiet, 'in the baby's room feeds' the other two are wherever we happen to be.

Tip of the Day #42 Lunch on a Stick

2009-12-08T09:15:00.002+11:00

Sassy Bento 20/5/08,
originally uploaded by Lyvvie.

My boys are not so interested in eating a salad sandwich but lately they've been eating the equivalent or more, with more salad and less bread, at lunch time. Recently I've introduced Lunch on A Stick.

We've been making 'kebabs' (I think they're 'shish' kebabs?). I've been chopping up salad vegies (tomatoes, cucumber, carrot) fruit (pineapple or strawberries), cheese, meat (ham, chicken, left-over sausages) and a piece of wholegrain bread with butter per child.

Then I give them a skewer each & they thread the food, colourfully, onto the skewer before eating.

The 3yo eats huge amounts this way and his younger brother will eat fruit and whatever is next to the piece of fruit, so it's win win.

The best thing is that by giving them less bread at lunch I can offer toast for morning or afternoon tea!

(If you've got a minute and are interested in healthy lunches for school, click on the link under the photo. This lady has some good ideas a joke of the day in the lunch box. How cool!)

Three Kids & Thunderbirds on the Christmas Tree

2009-12-07T21:44:00.002+11:00

Autumn Colors Christmas Tree,
originally uploaded by Fractal Artist.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas......and I'm totally into it!

My 3yo is so excited about Christmas that the rest of us can't help but catch the spirit. We began, completely breaking tradition, by putting the tree up in late November, because no-one could wait.

It's the first year, in nearly seven years of marriage, that we've had a tree over one foot tall, we even got to put in the branches by colour. Clearly it is not a real tree, but it looks awesome. We have actually hung all our decorations this year, usually we have a kind of trinket lucky dip out of the decorations I have been collecting, one at a time, for 36 years since birth. There is a modest amount of red and silver tinsel and, the boys' favourite, coloured flashing lights with a remote control!

To the more trained festive eye, the fact that we are large-tree novices is slightly obvious, the lights and tinsel being on the outside, but we like it that way and are not so fussy as to bother to do it all over again.

Little did I know, once the tree was decorated and lit, that it wasn't over. Decorating the tree continues, daily. We've had new lego 'Thunderbird' decorations appearing every day to perch like oversized 'snow rockets' on the tree and a lego 'present' pile is growing around the base. The 'Thunderbirds' have been arriving by stealth, usually under a lounge on the back of a dump truck.

Yesterday, while the 5mo slept, we decorated a Gingerbread Christmas tree. My husband was in charge of construction and wielded the icing bag. The boys and I decorated and ate lollies! It was the pinnacle of Christmas tree decorating when you are 2 and 3 years old.

Three Kids & A Week

2009-12-07T20:19:00.003+11:00

A week. It's funny how our brains and bodies work in time. I thought I needed a week to get me back on track. Sure enough, the week was rocky but slowly, all the stress and fatigue unraveled. Then yesterday the end of the tunnel came into view (the nausea gone) and today it was sunshine, all day.

Thanks everyone for your prayers, thoughts and kind words.

Three Kids & Exhausted

2009-11-30T21:23:00.002+11:00

I have hit a patch of exhaustion. To be honest I feel like I'm pregnant again - but no doctor will agree with me.

I'm nauseous, fatigued, teary, I'm losing weight quickly, I've got eczema on my hands and feet and arthritis in my fingers.

I have been falling asleep every day this week in the kids' rest time. Very unusual for me and mightily impractical, since that is my time to get things done. The kids have been waking earlier and going to bed later because it's summer. Plus I have been encouraging longer day sleeps, instead of waking them, so that I can sleep. Unfortunately it can't continue or we'll never eat a good meal again.

So I'm taking a week off blogging (and a few other things). Going to bed early, and taking my similarly struggling (and overworked) husband with me. Attempting to stay awake all day and trying to get my food prep and not let all my effort at keeping on top of the housework slide into oblivion. Planning to read Luke and listen to some good sermons on the I-pod.

Tip of the Day #41 Clean the Bathroom while the Kids are in the Bath

2009-11-29T21:30:00.004+11:00

I finally got to do this again today. Clean the bathroom while the baby was in the bath. I have to be there anyway. A mixture of things made this possible.

1. My husband was out at the park with the boys
2. I use non-toxic products, free of any potentially harmful ingredients. (Don't do this if you use bleach etc! See my website if you want to know what bleach etc is doing to the health of your kids. Guest Username "ghs" Guest Password "crown")
3. I finally took some cleaning spray & a cloth into the bathroom, before I put her in the bath. (usually I remember when it's too late.)
4. The baby is robust enough to leave on the bottom of the bath to kick around in an inch of water without needing to be held. She loves kicking around by herself.
5. I could watch & talk to her while I cleaned (toilet & vanity)
6. Once she got out, I could wrap her in a towel & leave her on the change mat while I quickly cleaned the bath.

It was very satisfying.

Three Kids & Uncomfortable Advice

2009-11-26T22:32:00.003+11:00

Film Canister [Lightbox],
originally uploaded by mattdonders.

I have had a week of hard to swallow advice.

Both advice I've given, and advice I've received. I figure God is poking me about it this week.

Having made others uncomfortable earlier this week with some unsolicited advice. I had my own dose this morning. It is really hard to take parenting advice when you're not looking for it and you don't particularly agree with it for your child.

This morning I took my 5 month old for vaccinations. Her appointment was 8.30am. I always try to book an early one because my Doctors run notoriously late. Plus, I remember to go in the mornings. (I'd forgotten an afternoon appointment only yesterday.)

I took my three kids, (3yo, 2yo & 5mo). The waiting room was empty. I asked the receptionist if there was enough time to change the baby's nappy, before the Doctor would come out, and she said,"Yes". I did and the boys found some toys and books and sat quietly.

Nappy changed, I started reading aloud to the boys. I kept reading, to an increasingly restless audience, with a lot of lap and seat changing and the beginnings of bickering for 50 minutes. Not once did the receptionist apologise for the delay.

Eventually, after my 2yo had been asking to go home for about 20 minutes, the Doctor strolled out, no previous patient in sight, and said it was our turn. I was fairly peeved. Then as we walked into the consulting room she caught my 2yo walking with a water bottle lid in his mouth and said, "No, take that out of your mouth." I motioned for her to lay off him and let me speak to him and she turned to me and said, "He's too young to play with that. You should know better, you know that they should have nothing smaller than a film cannister in their mouths."

It took all my self control to say nothing. (Knowing, full well, that he has had plenty of things smaller than a film cannister in his mouth in his two years of life.)

It is good advice. (She's probably seen some awful worst case scenarios.)

I had to remind myself that it was important to take the advice on board and not let my frustration about the wait cloud it. I had to drag up all the good things she'd ever done as my doctor and remind myself of the fact that it was me who'd forgotten the appointment the day before.

It took me half the appointment to calm down. Forgiveness only came after my boys were so lovely to their sister when she was having her needles. I couldn't stay cranky in the presence of such compassion. It was catching, praise God, and I've come home with a new vigilance about small things in mouths.

DIY #1 Cheap & Simple Swing Set

2009-11-25T13:32:00.007+11:00

Recently my husband (who is very handy, he also made the wagon in this photo, and the sandpit that you can't see) made these simple swings for our kids. They have been the best outdoor toy they have ever received. They have spent hours already. Considering that, post exposure to Kung Fu Panda, they now live permanently 2 feet (or more) off the ground, it has been a very timely addition to our tiny yard.

The 3yo has been taking a run off and swinging, with his feet tucked up, out onto the grass, or hanging upside down, doing somersaults and landing on his feet, (to our great surprise). The 2yo drags the mini trampoline or a truck or a skateboard under the single swing so that he can launch himself or swings himself on the bottom two rungs of the ladder.

They were very simple to make (even I could have done it, if pushed) and very satisfying because they were finished in one afternoon.

Just one length of dowel & one long piece of rope. Cut the dowel to size, drill holes large enough to thread the rope through, knot the rope under each dowel. My husband did melt the rope with a cigarette lighter to stop it from fraying. Currently the ropes are simply looped and tied over the struts of the pergola but they do move a bit, so we intend to fix them using an eye bolt drilled into the beam (now they have been so well received).

If you have "action" children and no room, or money, for a swing set this could be a good option. We have soft fall, camping mats from Kmart, laid over most of the horrible pebblecrete in our courtyard to avoid major injuries. They have saved the kids so many times as they have been learning to crawl, walk, jump and now fly!

Tip of the Day #40 Use Your Kids Paintings for Christmas Wrap

2009-11-25T08:51:00.003+11:00

Yesterday a neighbour came to visit & was admiring all the kids' paintings adorning the dining room walls at the moment. I said, "I'm not really sure what else to do with them, they are so huge." Her suggestion was to wrap Christmas presents in them.

Before I had #3 we were often painting wrapping paper, for people's birthdays, but lately I've just been buying. It has been tricky enough remembering to get a gift, let alone make the paper. But this way I am already prepared and it will save some money.

Home Remedy #6 Almost anything = SCENAR

2009-11-24T13:25:00.004+11:00

I've blogged a couple of times about our SCENAR machine. We think it is awesome and, along with a fabulous product from Neways called "Eliminator", it is our first aid kit.

The SCENAR machine is truly amazing - it is a mixture of Chinese Eastern Electrical therapy and modern biofeedback technology. Basically it clears the pathways, for the body to heal itself, more efficiently than normal healing.

Having one at home is brilliant.

We use it for;

bumps on the head - the 'egg' is gone in minutes
cuts - if it is too bloody you can brush the electrodes on a reciprocal area of the body (eg. if the cut is on the leg, you brush the other leg, if it is on the head you brush the lower back or stomach)
sprains, swelling, (even breaks heal much faster but we haven't had any at home yet)
sore throats, colds & flu (gone in 24 hours instead of 7 days)
upset tummys (as above)
allergies (we've been treating the baby's eczema with good results, no new outbreaks, we're also giving her fish oil & organic food & I'm 'attempting to' change my diet, but my husband has good results with kids who have had chronic allergies at his work)
colic (or otherwise unexplained crying in babies - we've done a lot of late night SCENAR sessions over the last 3 years)
bee stings (swelling completely gone in 5 minutes)
general grumpiness, anxiety or tiredness
teething
pre and post vaccinations
sleep deprivation
body shaping (although we have not spent any time on this lately - pilates is going to have to do the job for me until things calm down at my husband's work)
currently my husband (a physio who uses SCENAR in his practice) is treating someone with a scoliosis to straighten their back - it really is incredible what SCENAR can encourage your body to do. (My husband had treatment for his Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and was 'cured' after 9 years)
headaches
pretty much anything can be helped.

We have multi-layer therapy blankets as well and these have been wonderful support to the SCENAR.

A good info website is SCENAR HEALTH.

Three Kids & a Crazy Week.

2009-11-23T22:16:00.003+11:00

We’ve had a crazy week; crazy weather (40 degrees plus yesterday), crazy busy at my husband’s work, crazy night time poos with the baby (up to 3 a night), crazy hormones (for me - the boys don't have these issues), crazy Baby Boomer Traveling Grandparents away for two weeks, so no Monday morning relief, and crazy computer issues.

We’ve been basically offline having bought the latest iMac (love my Mac) with the spectacular Snow Leopard Operating System that our service provider (Optus) does not support. So instead of going full speed ahead into the Bloggersphere we’ve been stuck in chewing gum.

However, after a lovely late night call to Mumbai tonight, I think we may have cracked it. Thank you to the lovely and persevering Pooja.

My parents were also back today so I enjoyed 3 hours of lovely relief this morning, for which I am ever grateful, it always makes the week so much less crazy. Welcome Home.

Three Kids & a Scary Wasp

2009-11-23T22:13:00.002+11:00

Spider Wasp....Australia,
originally uploaded by bluemist57.

In our back yard an enormous, black wasp, with orange wings, has taken up residence in the hole around our grey-water down pipe, as it disappears under the house. For about a week now we have all been racing indoors the moment it emerges.

A few days ago we watched in horrified awe as it carried a paralyzed huntsman spider, about 2 metres, into its little lair. After this I decided to spray the nest, at a known quiet time, with disinfectant that I have used to get rid of other wasps (who were digging holes in the brickwork of the house earlier this year). I also tried to take a shot at the wasp from behind, as it rested on the fence later the same day. I didn't think my heart could beat as fast as it did, when the wasp took off after being sprayed.

However, a couple of days after the spraying, two more of its 'friends', smaller but still large, appeared and after a day of learning the ropes seem to have taken over the helm. The enormous one has disappeared after teaching all she/he knew (and we seem to be down to one 'friend' today).

Yesterday I decided to look it up, to see how worried I should be and if I should try more poisonous methods of pest control. It is called a spider wasp. Apparently they are solitary wasps, that feed on nectar (our neighbours have a beautiful native garden), but they lay their eggs on a spider so the larvae have a nice crunchy, hairy, food source. As wasps go, they are not aggressive but their sting is very painful. Apparently there is a, scary sounding, American version call a 'Tarantula Hawk'.

Since discovering they are non-aggressive we have stayed out a lot more and just ignored the 'bad fly' as the kids call it. It flies quite close to one particular swing, which worries me but otherwise it seems unconcerned about us. I have told the kids they are not allowed to touch but my 2yo has a creepy crawlie fascination, often picking up lizards, giant Christmas beetles, live cockroaches and dying cicadas. So I am apprehensive.

Any ideas on how to get rid of a wasp without poisoning the kids?

Recipe for Homemade Chocolate

2009-11-18T20:28:00.008+11:00

For days like these when you fall off the wagon. Make your own chocolate. Don't buy it. It's fake stuff free and it will give you the fix you need. If you're anything like me, after you've licked the bowl, you might not even want the chocolate itself! Then you've got some for another day!

This photo is my newly set, not yet cut attempt at chocolate with coconut. I used a hot knife to cut it but not a long enough one. You need to use a carving knife that goes all the way across the chocolate to make sure it doesn't split.

Recipe for Homemade Chocolate

125g copha
125g pure icing sugar
6 tablespoons cocoa
4 tablespoons full cream powdered milk
pinch salt

Sift icing sugar, cocoa, powdered milk and salt into a basin. Melt copha over gentle heat, add to dry ingredients. Mix until smooth and thick. Line a square cake tin with greaseproof paper. Pour chocolate into tin to set, lift out set chocolate in greaseproof paper, then cut into squares. Mixture may be doubled, and dried fruit, nuts, coconut or rice bubbles can be added for variety.

Works just fine with skim milk powder and icing sugar mixture if that's all you've got in the cupboard. I only had 90g of copha so I just adjusted the recipe.

Adding something like coconut takes your mind off the fact that it does not have a very smooth consistency.

I put mine in the fridge to set, a major no no if you're on Master Chef I know, but it worked for me!

(This recipe came originally from a funky website called ThriftyFun it has all kinds of great tips.)

Home Remedy #5 Cracks Under Sweaty Kids' Toes = Bicarb and Vinegar

2009-11-18T13:47:00.003+11:00

In summer my 3yo has very sweaty feet, in sandals. He gets cracks in his skin along the creases under his toes. They bleed and hurt. Last year I used cornflour to clear it up. I just stuffed the cracks full of cornflour after the bath before bed and in the morning when he put his shoes on. It cleared up very well & his feet weren't so sweaty.

However, it is back. Perhaps there was a fungus we didn't kill (and cornflour (cornstarch / wheatstarch) apparently feeds a yeast infection).
This year he has just started to develop the same problem so instead of the cornflour we've got a pot of bicarb in the bathroom.

Since vinegar is a natural remedy for Athlete's Foot, I have also decided to rub the feet with distilled vinegar morning and night then use the bicarb to keep the sweat down. I'll keep the vinegar rub going for two weeks after the cracks have gone to make sure all the fungus is gone.

Apparently bicarb is also a good one for keeping sweaty feet dry and stopping shoes from smelling.

Apple Cider Vinegar is also a good one to use.

Tip of the Day #39 Try Flickr for Craft Ideas

2009-11-16T14:13:00.003+11:00

1st Cupcake Craft!,
originally uploaded by gemgirlart.

I just went to Flickr for a photo to post with my last post about craft. I typed "craft" into the search box & came up with a fantastic selection of amazing things to do.

Being a visual, no instructions please, kind of person. I saw so many things I would love to make. I also searched "craft drawers" and came up with some great ideas for storing craft in lovely ways.

Three Kids & a Bit of Craft

2009-11-16T14:06:00.009+11:00

Button up,
originally uploaded by PlanetCoco.

My 3yo had his preschool orientation this weekend & loved it. He and his Dad trotted off together for an hour and played. From what I can tell it involved a lot of outdoor activity. I will be interested to see how long it takes for him to migrate inside. He was apparently hoping to paint but it wasn't on offer.

At home outdoors is still the favourite place to be but lately he has started to request craft and cooking as an activity. This is very exciting and good timing, as his brother suddenly seems able to enjoy it, and not just destroy it. Those of you with girls have probably amalgamated craft into your daily routine a lot more naturally.

I have been making the effort to set something up everyday; painting, threading, cutting, colouring, pasting or drawing. In the last few weeks, acutely aware that I have an almost preschooler in the house, I have been trying to run the home a little more like a 'family daycare' with more 'organised' activities like singing & craft at certain times in the day. Then at least I do it.

I have made craft easier to access by buying a cheap set of plastic draws and putting them up in the dining room (by some miracle they fit perfectly under the computer desk). This way I have better organisation and easy access. Previously all my craft was in boxes, on high shelves or in the garage. So I tended to do it less than once a week because the set up and pack away was too time consuming. Now I just open a draw and lay the stuff on the dining table (which already has a vinyl cover) then at the end I put everything straight back.

I have also put both boys' pictures into plastic sleeve folders with their photo on the front (also kept under the computer desk). This way we can look at their work for longer and not overload the fridge. They are enjoying flicking through their books every time we put in a new masterpiece.

Three Kids & 6.00am

2009-11-15T06:47:00.003+11:00

There is a digital clock in the hallway with large green numbers.

It is on the floor, angled so that I can see it from my bed in the middle of the night but close to the door of boys' room so that the 3yo can see it on the way to the toilet in the mornings. He is allowed to stay up if it is after 6.00am.

This is tricky, since number recognition is not yet a mastered skill. Lately, as the sunrise has been getting progressively earlier, I've been contemplating a little more direct teaching of numbers. Unfortunately the current situation is only teaching sneaky ways to get out of going back to bed.

He has tried a couple of new ones this week when just plain arguing didn't work. Heavy stepping his way to his sleeping brother's cot, whispering through the bars, "It's time to get up," until his brother stands up and starts jumping and calling out. Then running, elephant style, into our room with the news, "My brother's awake, you have to get up Dad."

This morning he went to the toilet at 5.25am and was understandably disappointed that this was not close to 6.00am. Ten minutes later he tried moving the clock into their room & turning it upside down. He came in, again via his brother's cot, "It's time to get up."
"No I don't think it is."
"Well I think it is but the numbers are upside down."
"Let's go and take a look."

Needless to say we are praying that the blockout blinds can be installed before my husband finishes painting the lo-line bunk beds we bought off e-bay last week. Before there are two boys in big beds who can't read clocks in the mornings.

Three Kids & Kung Fu

2009-11-14T16:29:00.002+11:00

kung-fu panda,
originally uploaded by seiho.

At our house 'Everybody is Kung Fu Fighting....'.

I decided to finally let my 3yo watch a whole new movie in one sitting. Previously I have always sat beside him with the remote in hand, index finger ready to fast forward at the first sign of 'nightmare potential scenes' or I've just shown a couple of scenes at a time. In this way he has been introduced to Nemo, Toy Story & Cars. Now that they are familiar he watches Cars & Nemo by himself but I still zap out Sid in Toy Story (It's a bit too human & he does have nightmares).

Needless to say, Kung Fu panda was a great choice. The baddy is not too evil & the fight scenes are a 3yo boy's good dreams come true. He was completely enthralled & since then has been testing out his Kung Fu at every opportunity.

Using his new found agility he leaps up to the highest place he can, the top of the lounge room buffet. Then stands there, smiling quietly, until someone notices. A few days ago he says to me, "Look at this mum," and, holding on to the arm of the lounge, ran horizontally along the front of the buffet.

His 2yo brother, who has seen random scenes, now climbs onto the side of the port-a-cot, that I use as a playpen, and stands balancing on one corner before leaping off. He also now climbs to the highest point on his cot then stands up & leaps into bed.

They painted wooden swords at a local preschool open day last weekend & have almost choreographed their own 'Princess Bride" style sword fight up and down the steps and ramps of our climbing gym.

Surprisingly no one has really taken a hit because most of their punching is happening in slow motion. We have decided that a big punching/tackling bag, that bounces back, might be a good addition to the yard this Christmas.

Three Kids & Eczema

2009-11-13T11:17:00.007+11:00

I can't believe I'm posting this so soon after yesterday's post. I told you my diet was rubbish, now I am determined to do the detox. God knew I needed a push.

My beautiful little girl woke this morning with a beautifully enormous, eczma, 'herald patch' on one side of her mouth & a mini one on the other side. I stripped her off & sure enough there were a few isolated circles of eczema on her back, shoulders & forehead.

Until going to the doctor the other day I'd never heard of a herald patch, but the doctor went on and on about them. So when it came up this morning I recognised it. It's a bright red circle. Looks a bit like she's had something pressing on that spot for a while, but it doesn't fade.

Now I have to work out if it could possibly be a reaction to what she's eaten - apples, rice & pumpkin, which when I Google, only come up as treatment foods, or just what I've been eating.

Hold the phone, I have just had a thought. Yesterday I let her suck on my ice block which was made from Cottees Cordial. Now that I read the label more carefully, it contains the preservative Sodium Metabisulphite. (I thought it was safe because I'd scanned for numbers & it was not recorded as a number on the pack! That's another bottle down the toilet)

Ok, I have now Googled Sodium Metabisulphite & it came up as one of the most common eczema causing food additives and Wikipedia (which says nothing about eczema but mentions asthma) says "The acceptable daily intake is up to 0.7 mg per kg of body weight". That doesn't really mean much. I have no idea how much she got or how much she weighs.

However, it does show that she is susceptible & her immune system is low. So we are going to get healthy from the inside out, the two of us, slowly together.

Right now she is getting SCENAR after every feed to push her along. I have made taking my minerals a priority (I have been forgetting a lot lately because they are in the fridge and I've just been taking vitamins). This morning I had eggs & salad for breakfast, tuna rice noodles with Chinese vegetables, from the garden, for lunch and dinner is (free range) Chicken Rice Pie.

Do you want more info about why things like food & common household products cause eczema? If you'd like this info & would like to know which healthy products we use around the home and details of our supplements, take a look at my website. Username "ghs" Password "crown".

Three Kids & a Detox While Breastfeeding

2009-11-12T21:47:00.002+11:00

mmmmmmm!! better than.....,
originally uploaded by Foot Slogger.

I have been, progressively over the last 4 years of pregnancy & breastfeeding, getting more & more nonchalant about eating foods that I know are not really doing me any good.

Early in 2004, while my husband was very ill, and out of work as a result of his illness, we embarked on some serious life changing. We changed to healthy everything - cleaning products, skin products, hair products, dental products.

Then we went on a detox diet. It seemed crazy at the time - no wheat, no sugar, no dairy, no yeast, nothing processed, no leftovers, no red meat, eat fresh, eat raw (where possible), no caffeine, no alcohol, plus supplements. It made us difficult dinner guests, although we weren't exactly venturing out more than once a month. However, we were desperate and determined and it worked.

We stuck with the diet until I got pregnant for the first time in August 2005. My cravings and the foods I went off, killed us. I could not handle the smell of stirfried vegetables, especially hated brocolli, wanted potato, which as a sugary vegetable was off the menu. I craved bread and red meat, was too tired to prepare everything from scratch everyday and began to eat left overs. Most of all I wanted chocolate caramel slice, all the time. Although, I went back to cooked vegies and off potato when breastfeeding I was still hungry and tired all the time, which means I gave in to sugar cravings and was not much into fresh food preparation.

Since August 2005 I have had two months when I have not been pregnant or breastfeeding. The cravings have returned every time & the diet has gotten worse. Thanks to God and SCENAR and an otherwise healthy home, my husband has continued to get well and I am not dead from lack of sleep, body stress and hormone overload, but I do have this weird thing.

Since being pregnant, at various times & to varying degrees I have developed Pompholyx on my hands & feet. Apparantly it is a common type of eczema affecting the hands (cheiropompholyx), and sometimes the feet (pedopompholyx). (It is also known as dyshidrotic eczema or vesicular eczema of the hands and/or feet.) It is insanely itchy and feels very hot. At the moment I have an outbreak & it is now on my knuckles as well as my palms & on top of my feet.

I went to the doctor, (ours is also a qualified Naturopath), who said it was systemic. I asked if I could go on a herbal purge, while breastfeeding & he said "no" but a dietary detox should get rid of it and not harm the baby.

Now, I know I'll feel better, I know my eczema will clear up, but blah! Detoxing when you're pregnant requires the kind of mental strength I just don't know if I can muster at the moment. On the bright side, if I can do it now, I guess it will be much easier to sustain when I stop breastfeeding and everyone will benefit. My husband is really keen & the kids are still young enough not to know the difference.

Three Kids & No Time to Christmas Shop?

2009-11-10T12:25:00.004+11:00

I haven't planned this year's shopping yet. Generally I fluctuate, between being ridiculously super organised for Christmas, making gifts etc, to buying everything on Christmas Eve, depending on how pregnant, or otherwise brain affected, I am.

Amazon.com has just put out a toy list, in ages & categories, for their affiliates. It might help you with your shopping. Here is the link.

Amazon.com Toy List 2009

Tip of The Day #38 Microwave Your Dishcloths

2009-11-10T10:11:00.004+11:00

Everything you need to know about microwave popcorn,
originally uploaded by jmacphoto.com.

This is a tip from my good friend Ginette, she got it from her brother-in-law & he got it from a TV program. I've tried it & it seems to work.

Microwave your dishcloths for 2 mins at the end of each day. It kills all the bacteria & stops them becoming smelly.

I am quite pleased actually, it gives me a good use for my microwave, since microwaving vegetables kills their enzymes, vitamins & microwaving in general changes the molecular structure of foods. I try to avoid using mine too much.

Three Kids & an I-Pod

2009-11-07T16:39:00.004+11:00

New I-Pod Touch and 4th gen I-Pod Photo,
originally uploaded by mdshivers.

One of the regular commenters/commentors (not sure of the spelling?) on this blog 'Wide Open Spaces' has encouraged me, in a couple of her recent comments, to do large blocks of the housework when the kids are asleep in the evenings & be free in the day to enjoy the kids.

I was tending to do washing in the baby's morning rest, housework in the afternoon rest & then be a bit stuck doing dinner prep in the afternoon, when the kids wanted to play. A bit silly really.

So I have decided to try three things to free myself up to play;

1. Put on the the washing & fold off the line early in the morning, before breakfast & when my husband is still at home. (I can do this because my line is undercover) Now I am available to play with the boys while the baby is asleep.

2. Prepare dinners in the afternoons while the kids are resting. (Prepare double meals, at least, so that I don't have to do major meal preparation every day) I say dinners because the kids still, sadly, eat a different meal to us. Then I can be free to play & cuddle when they wake & dinner can go on the table whenever they are ready for it.

3. Ignore, where possible, the mess, until evening, then do an hour of cleaning/tidying/organising that is uninterrupted. Use this cleaning time to listen to sermons on my I POD. I have been struggling to be regular with my personal bible reading. Subsequently I have been a bit discouraged in my relationship with Jesus and this has been playing out in my behaviour lately.

The three seem to be working well & I've been a lot more relaxed in the day with a cleaning plan - I was at a bit of a loose end when my cleaner quit after only 2 months, I was counting on my monthly clean!

Praise God, since starting to listen to sermons again on the IPOD I have been able to repent of a whole lot of things that the Holy Spirit had convicted me of & I am very encouraged and excited to be in a better relationship with Jesus again so quickly.

The talks I've been downloading are from Mars Hill Church - Pastor Mark Driscoll. I' ve just finished the TRIAL series on 1 & 2 Peter. (It's taken me longer than a week to listen to these, there are 28 sermons in the series but I have just been able to listen to one every night this week & that has been great.) Click Here to go to marshillchurch.org if you want to download some great talks.

Tip of the Day #37 Do Your Baby Books As You Go

2009-11-05T19:32:00.004+11:00

I finally bought a baby book for the 4mo today - only 4months late. Quite pleased that it is not a year. I bought a really cool Maisy One. (First one I've been able to pick myself) Click on the picture to have a look at it.

It made me glad that I have finished the 3yo's & nearly finished the 2yo's books. I only get a one-year book. That started because my Nana bought the first one & I had no choice. However, when I fell pregnant six months later I was so glad that I wouldn't be overlapping the writing of the baby books. I made myself finish the first one before the second baby was born.

I have finished the writing in the 2yos. I just haven't stuck in all the pictures because we got a bit slack about printing photos at that point. The poor baby, we haven't even printed one photo of her apart from her thank you cards. (I did go today but the shop was being refurbished, so I can almost say I've tried!)

So I thought I'd better get cracking on her baby book too before it is too late. Unfortunately there are a couple of things I already don't remember like, "First started grasping things at ???"

Three Kids & The Wiggles

2009-11-05T19:31:00.002+11:00

Greg Wiggle is no more! :(,
originally uploaded by dooogewalah.

I am a big fan of the Wiggles. My kids have adored them, learned to dance, learned to sing & laughed a lot with the Wiggles but I do find it slightly unnerving that they have now taken ownership of things that clearly are not theirs to own.

Old Songs for one - My 2yo, like generations before him, has chosen Twinkle Twinkle Little Star as the first song he will sing out loud on his own. He dutifully does the actions, sings the words heart wrenchingly and then ends with "'The Wiggles' da pa!".

Nursery Rhymes - Little Miss Muffet is now owned by The Wiggles and so are This Old Man & his Dog and that old finger biting Fish that was caught alive. They are all Wiggles (da pa!) according to my 2yo.

Now, to top it off they have claimed a colour. Yellow is no longer yellow it is "Sam" and we all have to say it. It is red, blue & sam.

Three Kids & A Meal Together (Yes - Without Dad!!!)

2009-11-04T15:21:00.002+11:00

joslyn and nick set the table for dinner - _MG_1437,
originally uploaded by sean dreilinger.

Finally, we are eating together. Or should I say the kids are eating & I am there? Whatever, it is happening!

Our gorgeous, nearly 5 month old, started on stewed apples this week. She's almost an eating professional already. She sits up at the table like it has always been that way, with a look that says, "What are you so excited about Mum, isn't this just what you do?

So now at 5.00pm, instead of throwing the boys meals on the table & racing upstairs to bath the baby, (see Three Kids & Strapping Them In) we all sit down at the table, eat and talk.

Actually the boys have been out of their high chairs for about a month now. Things did calm down & I could finally trust them to sit safely. However, me not being there wasn't really helping them to eat well. They had turned into little hobbits, having first dinner (a couple of mouthfuls), then wandering upstairs. About an hour later, after the baby was asleep & they were bathed & ready for bed, they'd eat second dinner (the rest).

I am living in hope that as the baby begins to broaden her taste, they might decide to re-broaden theirs. (see Three Kids & The Age of Cucumber) Both the 3yo & the 2yo were very excited about pureed stewed apple. I am quietly hoping for a similar response to pureed steamed Chinese vegies & sweet potato in a couple of days. Then perhaps in a couple of months there might even be some interest in meat - any meat would do!

Three Kids & The Beach

2009-11-03T13:10:00.007+11:00

Generally I save the beach for weekends with my husband. However, occasionally, like today, I venture out with friends. The adult- child ratio is not as good but it is do-able.

Having three non-swimmers is a little tricky. Last year when I was pregnant we would go, the boys & I, to the beach or the lake all the time. This year I have decided to leave it for a while unless I have another adult.

One thing, that has helped me manage at the beach (and it must be ultra daggy because no one else on the Northern Beaches does it), is insist (whenever possible) that my kids wear their bubbles (back floats) even when they're paddling. Call me 'over cautious' but I have needed the peace of mind, since, I have been pregnant or carrying another baby or both most of the time for the last three years &, I can't jump in easily to save someone.

Both boys have resisted wearing their floats as 2yos. With our eldest we almost gave in and a couple of times last summer he got away with no float. Until, in the same week, my husband & I both had dreams that he drowned. After that we agreed that we would never let him win that battle.

Less than a week later I was at Narabeen Lake with a friend's mother's group. The water was running into the lake from the ocean & the currents were picking up speed. We were in an area that is very shallow and frequented by parents of small children. My eldest boy (the only child on the beach wearing his back float, praise God) dropped a toy in the water & followed it, trying to pick it up, as it innocently traveled away from the group. He reached the end of the sand on the beach and waded in past some reeds where he was picked up by the current himself. He was swept into a deep channel &, thankfully, called out.

I was holding his brother & had turned around, momentarily, when I heard his call. He was already 3 metres away. I handed over the 1 year old & jumped in. By then he was, 6 metres away, swimming backwards, against the current & panicking. I swam to catch him, I could not put my feet down, the water was so fast. I also could not swim back once I caught up, we both had to swim with the current until the channel opened out into a wider section of the lake & the water slowed. I spent the whole time trying to comfort, encourage and gently teach 'swimming with the current' & 'not drowning your rescuer'.

We finally emerged on the bank about 50 metres from our group. I praised God for our dreams & for protecting my child. I then went & stood, near the spot where he had fallen in, for the rest of our time there. I stopped two other children from doing exactly the same thing, neither were wearing floats.

Recipe for Chocolate Yogo

2009-10-31T14:41:00.003+11:00

Just found this recipe for Chocolate Yogo at Best Recipes & read a review saying it could be made with xylitol instead of sugar.

I am very excited that I've just found a simple & cheap, healthy pre-school lunch box treat guaranteed to please!!!!

Only 4 ingredients cocoa, corn flour, sugar (use xylitol if you want a healthy version) & milk.

Click here for the recipe - it's very easy!

Tip of the Day #36 Try 'Unloved' Toys in the Bath

2009-10-30T19:54:00.006+11:00

Last night I said, "Why don't we take the Potato Heads in the bath for a play?"
"Yeah!"

So we did & they played & made Potato Heads happily for 20 minutes - The 3yo made at least 6 different ones & lined them up on the edge of the bath & the 2y0 spent ages 'filling up' his potato head, through the little door at the back.

They haven't wanted to play Potato Heads for over a year in their room.

I did the same thing with Dinosaurs a little while back. The 3yo has a fabulous, Grandparent bought, set of dinosaurs that had not been looked at sideways, let alone played with, ever. We took them in the bath & they were the flavour of the month for about 2 months.

Three Kids & A Moment Alone

2009-10-30T12:56:00.003+11:00

Some days I crave moments alone.

I love my husband & my kids. I love my neighbours, friends & family but I crave moments when I can be utterly & completely alone & not needed. Somedays when I'm craving, I get quite distressed inside when it looks like the 3yo won't have a sleep or the boys sleep will not overlap the baby's sleep.

(Other days I don't think twice about it. On those days things just work out. Usually they are the organised & not sleep deprived days.)

Recently my husband suggested I take up a Pilates class on a Tuesday night. Since he comes home at 3.30pm on a Tuesday, he thought it would be a good day for him to do the bed routine with the boys. I jumped at the chance. My non-incidental exercise is otherwise NIL.

I have done three classes now, & am beginning to love it, but do you know what the best bit is? Before I leave at 6.45pm it is right in the middle of the wind down to bed. I take about 10mins to get myself organised & out the door. (Generally someone needs me to do something for them so that is factored in to the time.)

The best bit is sitting on the bed & lacing up my shoes. All by myself. By then my husband has started stories & no one ever needs me. I sit there, in my own home, & it's peaceful & quiet inside me. I say goodbye then go downstairs & pick up my, strangely empty, handbag & walk out.

Tip of the Day #35 Tidy House = Tidy Mind

2009-10-29T19:24:00.003+11:00

This is my mum's saying, although it used to be 'a tidy room means a tidy mind'. Currently my mind is like a garbage tip.

Sorry to go on and on about this, but I have been fascinated to see how the lack of sleep this week is progressively killing my motivation, mental clarity & tidiness. I am back to chasing my tail.

Things; toys, papers, random clothes, shoes, craft, cushions, a port a cot, baby play mat, bouncer, balloons, plates, vegetables, cups, knives, breakfast stuff, lunch stuff, all kinds of stuff are piling progressively higher around me like I'm in some kind of unstoppable sped up cartoon. The only thing that is not piling up, & should be, is the dinner stuff because I haven't got to that yet & I'm blogging for headspace instead.

Today was quite a good day kidwise, everyone had a lovely day, but anytime I thought about doing housework, my wheels just started spinning, "Where do I start, What do I do?" All I could see was impossible mess. I did manage the washing but only because I'm in a bit of a routine with that at the moment - everything else .......blah.

Mum was right. I used to think, "No this is organised chaos, I know where everything is, as long as I can have one clear spot I can study or do homework." Now I realise what my mum must have been thinking/feeling/trying to cope with when she saw my room, she had toddlers at the time.

Three Kids & 'Distracta Girl'

2009-10-28T14:36:00.003+11:00

NMP.Super-Baby,
originally uploaded by nicholas.mcintosh.

My 4mo is at that delightful stage where nothing escapes her attention. Her little head does 360 degree turns & the body is often twisted like a pretzel on the carpet while she follows her brothers around the room with keen owl eyes.

Her two hands are working together now, so things can be grabbed, squeezed & ultimately tasted. Everything is exciting. Everything is new. She can be entertained with the most mundane objects. It is gorgeous & I wish we all stayed like that.

However, this stage of development makes for one distracted girl when feeding. It doesn't help when there are brothers climbing up to share her breastfeeding cushion or pulling her arms or patting her face when she is trying to eat. Or that the T.V. is on. Even tiny sounds, if sudden, will result in her 'pulling off' with a smack of the lips & looking at me for reassurance (which then turns into a game of smiles, on , off, smile, on, off, smile) or trying to find the source of the sound with her Inspector Gadget neck.

This last week she has been much more burpy & windy than usual. I think this is because she is swallowing masses of air with all this Distracta Girl feeding.

She is also waking for feeds in the night. (5 nights in row now) I had thought it was wind related, seeing she can be a poo volcano, but the poo has passed this week & it continues.

I read something, about night waking at 4months being common in babies who had been 'sleeping through' already, in 'Baby Love' a few years ago. At the time I didn't take much notice because neither of my boys were anywhere near sleeping through the night by 4 months.

This morning I tried to find the 'bit' again & couldn't so I Googled it & found a fairly sensible article about it by a lactation consultant.

Basically she said,

They're distracted in the day, not getting a full feed
So they're hungry at night, they wake & get a good solid, undistracted feed
No point making them cry it out, will just ruin your milk supply because you will only get distracted, day time, breast stimulation, this will make them hungrier etc.
It can last till 6-7 months (oh joy!),
Try to have quiet feeds, but she admits this is nigh impossible in some households (She must have been here!)

So it is possible that we could be back on the sleepless train again. Hope not. Will try to get in a few more undistracted feeds per day.

For more posts about this issue see Three Kids & A Sleepless Night, Three Kids & The Impact of Our Words #1, Three Kids & Being A Babywise Failure, Tip of the Day #11 Light Sleepers, Three Kids & Up to My Elbows in Poo

Three Kids & a Crust

2009-10-27T13:38:00.003+11:00

At our house there is, currently, very little bread being wasted.

The 3yo likes the middle of the bread & so wants the crusts cut off. The 2yo will only eat the crusts & complains if there is too much middle.

Today the 2yo ate two duck crusts for lunch, (The end pieces from each loaf that we usually feed to the ducks because no one wants them) with no spread.

There is no copying his brother when it comes to food. He knows what he wants.

Three Kids & A Sleepless Night

2009-10-26T17:49:00.002+11:00

NO Sleeping,
originally uploaded by M1ssy.

Surprisingly, we are getting more sleep now than we have in three years. We have more energy than we had before kids. For my husband who has suffered with severe Chronic Fatigue Syndrome since 2000 it is amazing. He hardly knows himself.

In our own return to health, there have been so many factors. However, sleep - now that it refreshes, as God intended - is such a blessing. We are very thankful that our daughter has been, unusually for our family, sleeping 11hours from about 2months.

Last night we had a little glitch in the new sleepy routine. Both boys were up & raging till 8.00pm (an hour late in our house) then the 2yo didn't settle till 9.30pm. The 4mo was then up 2 hourly from 10pm(sometimes 1 hourly) until 5.30am. Then the 3yo woke at 5.45am ready to go for the day. We just looked at each other & giggled.

Having some regular, refreshing sleep has made us see the humour in a 'busy' night & realise the power of sleep. We are much more energetic & far less moody. A night like last night used to make me angry. I couldn't see when it would end because it was happening all the time. Now I know it's just a glitch but I need to take care not to get too tired.

We watch our kids like hawks, looking for tired signs, from the day they're born & recognise when their behaviour is poor because they are tired, but we don't always do the same for ourselves. Now I see I should have taken a bit more notice of my own tired signs.

I knew I was not really at my best for my boys. Some days I could barely drag myself through the motions, let alone smile. I rarely had energy to think of new things to do with my kids. In fact, I have been perpetually pregnant, breastfeeding or both with 3months off (not together) in over 4 years.

I used to marvel at friends & neighbours who seem so on top of things despite having young kids or being pregnant. Don't get me wrong I still had good days, just not good weeks and good months like I do now.

One friend in particular, who had two kids who slept 12 hours before 10 weeks has always had masses of energy, to run around, think of new ideas for what to do with her kids, & never lost her temper. Occasionally I would catch myself comparing & feeling a little inadequate but now I realise how much of her secret was sleep.

We have both had our third baby recently. While mine is sleeping & I feel full of energy & ideas, her baby is doing the normal thing & waking to feed once or twice a night. She has had more illness in two months than in the entire time I have known her.

I can see it is really hard on her & finally I am recognising that it was hard on me too, but I can also see how God was training me, shaping my character & teaching me to trust him when I had nothing of myself to give. Finally I can accept that I could only do what I could with God's help.

To all those mum's & dads out there doing it with no sleep, I know you're doing it tough. It's hard to not wish you could be like other mum's or your kids could sleep like other kids.
Hang in there, don't be too hard on yourself or your kids. Pray. Trust that God has a plan in all of this & he wants the best for you because you are his child & he loves you.

Tip of the Day #34 Find Out Which Numbers to Avoid in Foods.

2009-10-26T08:40:00.004+11:00

The Kids & I shopped at Aldi a few weeks ago because we had no babysitting that week, my husband couldn't & we were out of food. So I piled 3 weeks worth of shopping around the baby & the boys helped. It went okay. No one lost it until the check out. I was pretty impressed.

However, in my hurry to get around quickly, I was deceived by tricky advertising. I picked up a cordial, to make up iceblocks, that had "No Artificial Flavours," on the front & threw it into the trolley thinking it would be okay. Yesterday when I finally ran out of the old cordial. I had a closer look at the label.

There were 7 numbers on the label & 5 of them are on the Allergy Alert 'to be avoided' list. I was so disappointed. Colours, preservative, enhancers. It was such a shame. We try to avoid most numbers & especially the 'evil' ones at home. I know it's not always possible at church or playgroup or parties.

So the cordial is money down the loo, literally, but it reminded me that I haven't put this link on my site yet. If you want a good list of Additives to Avoid go to Additive Alert. You can also buy their book through their website. (I'll also put the link on my Great Sites for Busy Mums list.)

It's worth having a list in your purse. Clearly I forgot mine at Aldi. At least the kids got fresh orange juice & filtered water ice-blocks instead this morning.

Three Kids & Homework

2009-10-24T14:05:00.003+11:00

We went to our first ever Pre-School Information Night this week. It was good. We made double use of the babysitter, & got ourselves some long overdue exercise, by walking there. Plus they served tea & biscuits. It was like a date.

The pre-school looks like it will suit our son well (with a nice large patch of dirt for playing with diggers & great climbing equipment) and the teachers seemed lovely. However, there were a lot of stressed looking parents & they gave us homework!

I think I'm going to get a bit of a shock as we enter the next stage of our kids' lives. I don't know if my brain can do stress & homework anymore!

Tip of the Day #33 Freeze Your Cookie Dough

2009-10-24T14:03:00.002+11:00

Chocolate chip cookie dough,
originally uploaded by toastforbrekkie.

As you can see from the previous post we made cookies a couple of times this week but I really only made one batch. A friend gave me this tip, & an ex-chef I spoke to this week said it's common practice in restaurants.

Make up a large batch of cookie dough. Cook only what you need for that day. Using Baking Paper, roll the remaining dough into cookie sized logs, wrap in the paper like a bon, bon & freeze.

Then whenever you need to make homemade cookies,quickly, take a log out of the freezer & slice, the still frozen mixture, thinly into cookies. Place cookies on baking trays & cook.

I thought this was a good tip for people like me with poor cookie eating self control. You don't end up eating 40 cookies in 2 days because you've only made 8.

Recipe for White Chocolate Cookies

2009-10-24T13:36:00.003+11:00

This is a really yummy & vaguely 'healthy' recipe for White Chocolate Cookies (perhaps I should say substantial -they are still full of sugar!).

We have had a very busy/social week & I made it twice this week, once for kids & once for adults. Both enjoyed the results.

White Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients
125g butter
2 tsp of vanilla essence
1 cup of brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup wholemeal plain flour
1/2 cup wholemeal self raising flour
1 cup coconut
3/4 cup quick oats
250g white chocolate bits

Method
Beat butter, essence, sugar & egg until light & fluffy.
Stir in flours, coconut, oats & chocolate.
Cover trays with baking paper.
Shape level tablespoons of mixture into balls.
Place about 3cm apart on trays, flatten slightly.
Bake in moderately hot ove fpr about 12mins or until lightly browned.
Cool on trays.
Makes about 4o

Tip of the Day #32 Educate Yourself About Ways to Keep Your Kids Healthy

2009-10-21T08:11:00.005+11:00

We had to do this when my husband was very ill with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. He spent 9 years being sick & tired. We did a lot of research & discovered a lot of 'normal' things we were doing were contributing to the over burden of our immune systems.

Our kids have really benefited from our efforts, they are rarely sick & full (sometimes too full) of energy.

Even if no-one in the family has Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (& God willing you will not get it, it's horrible) you might have kids with allergies or frequent illness or they might be perfectly healthy. No matter what, it's worth finding out about some simple & inexpensive ways you can help them.

You might like to check out the Home Truths Documentary video on my Free Family Health Information Website. It is really worth watching & only takes about 15mins.

Go to the website, Enter the username 'ghs' and the password 'crown', Go to Presentations, Go to More Info, Choose Home Truths Documentary.

Click Here to go to the website.

Three Kids & Up to My Elbows in Poo

2009-10-20T08:44:00.004+11:00

I am a great fan of the movie Kenny. When I first saw it I was, already, highly involved in other people's poo. I felt like we were kindred spirits.

Things are changing though, the great day arrived earlier this month when I was no longer required to attend every wee done by my 3 year old. It was an odd feeling, being uninvited.

I am still expected to appear at the end of every poo, to observe it's size shape & consistency, "Mum, I've done a poo castle!" or "Look Mum, a Mega poo," and to wipe. I am also front & centre full time for the other two.

My 2yo is still in nappies, despite the occasional 'stunt wee' on the toilet, and of course there is the 4mo who still wets at least 6-7 nappies a day.

My boys as babies were very regular with their number 2s. The benchmark was set by the 3yo who pooed after almost every feed until about 6 months. So I thought this was normal. My second boy started out pooing every feed then struggled between 1 & 3 months with severe constipation, rock hard poos & wind, until I gave him pro-biotics. Then he was regular & pooed daily.

My daughter started out the same as the boys, for the first month, & now is different altogether. She holds on for almost a week. Then we have a poo explosion, usually after a few days of mini eruptions & disturbed sleep.

This morning as I stood, on the only piece of good carpet in the house, holding the baby & talking to my husband, there was the tell tale sound of wet flatulence & the warm vibrations on my arm. Then my husband exclaimed, "Oh my Goodness," & I heard the splatter of baby poo on the carpet.

I looked down & thought, "Did none of it stay in the nappy?" as I madly tried to pull in her trackpants to stop the flow.

I spent the next half hour cleaning the carpet, while my 2yo sat beside me playing. Reminding me, with little wafts, that as soon as I finished with the baby's poo, he had a little something he would like to share.

Recipe for Lovers' Tuna Pie

2009-10-19T20:18:00.005+11:00

This pie is my mother-in-law's invention. She called it Lovers' Tuna Pie in my old diary, recipe book, because she wrote it on the 14th February page.

It was tweaked from an old recipe to suit my husband who needed a low GI pie because of his Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. She has cooked it whenever we need meals & we now make it for ourselves & anyone else who needs meals (& likes tuna).

We love it, the kids eat it & it is super easy.

Lovers' Tuna Pie
Ingredients

1 400g tin Tuna - drained
1 cup grated cheese
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 cup milk
4 eggs - beaten
1 small onion - finely chopped
chopped parsley
2 teaspoons lemon juice

Method
Mix all together in a bowl.
Put into a pie dish and put into a moderate oven for 40mins or until set.
Serve with lots of raw salad.

What's your favourite easy meal recipe?

Tip of the Day #31 Share Your Staple Recipes

2009-10-19T20:17:00.004+11:00

spaghetti recipe,
originally uploaded by Jaboney.

I was chatting to my Tupperware Lady this morning. I love having a Tupperware Lady I can call at 8.00am knowing she is also, well and truly, up with her kids.

She was saying that her mothers' group had recently put their heads together & made a "Tried & True, Easy Meals Recipe Book" & it has really helped her broaden her cooking.

I thought this was a great idea & one you could do with your playgroup, bible study group, mother's group, family or a mixture of the above. I vaguely remember various school groups doing this when I was at school.

I have an old unused diary, from my pre-calendar days, in which I collect my friends' recipes. (I never could get into using a diary - but I'm great with a calendar!?) A whole lot of new recipes at once would be lovely, It would save a stack of time leafing through recipe books.

They made theirs an e-book so it could be e-mailed. Thought this was a great idea. Thought I'd post my favourite tried & true recipe in the next post & invite you all to comment with yours. Just to start the ball rolling. Feel free to pass mine on to whatever group you're in.

See Recipe for Tuna Lovers' Pie for my recipe.

Three Kids & A T-Shirt

2009-10-18T15:33:00.003+11:00

More T-Shirts!,
originally uploaded by mrahayes.

Getting dressed has always been an issue for my 2yo.

At first he would scream, then he would roll, & finally, he would run. A while back I posted about the getting dressed games played in this house by the boys & their unwilling parents. About a week later they began to settle down.

For about a month now we've had fairly resistance-free dressing. That is physical resistance.

However, we now have verbal resistance to negotiate. This is perhaps more complex as it goes hand in hand with the (previously mentioned) newly acquired, ability to undress.

The 2yo carefully inspects everything put out for him to wear. With a smile & a large sweeping motion he will remove anything remotely warm, saying, "Me no like that jumper!" or "Me no need that!"

Hats, "Me no wear that!",
Socks, "Sock Off!",
Shoes, "No, no, no, Shoe off!"

We have compromised. It was my husband who thought of it. Since he is happy to wear a T-shirt, we layer-up. If it's warm he wears a singlet with one T-shirt. If it is cold he can wear up to 5 T-shirts.

If we can distract him long enough we might manage to sneak in a long sleeve T-shirt. We are hoping this phase will pass before winter returns as he has manged to convince his older brother that this is the only way to dress.

Around the home he is becoming lovingly known as 'T-shirt'.

For more info see Three Kids & Getting Dressed Chasings

Tip of the Day #30 Fold at the Line

2009-10-15T14:14:00.003+11:00

This is such a time saver in one sense. You have the folding done before you even bring the basket inside. There is no follow up besides putting the clothes away but you can't just whip everything off the line quickly.

Ages ago, a friend, with a very tidy home, gave me this tip, when I asked, in awe, "How do you get it all done?"

Her reply was that for cleaning inside she just did a little all the time, she never ironed & she folded the clothes straight off the line. I put it in the "I'll try it when I have time," part of my brain & kept doing what I was doing (which was leaving piles of laundry everywhere).

This week since arriving home from holidays, I've been attempting to get a laundry 'system' in place. I've been getting up & putting washing in the machine first thing. I've bought 2 more dirty clothes baskets for the laundry. I bring the ones from upstairs down & sort them into whites & colours/darks in the laundry, so I can take the empty basket back up stairs. I wash a second load before I've hung the first one out.

I fold the washing off the line into a few baskets (kids & adults & misc/ironing).

I've had mixed success. I reckon (on sunny days) it might be easier with a clothesline in the backyard (my line & laundry are both in the garage so there is a car between them). However, if I pick my times well, the boys will play happily around me & help a little. I tend to start the folding part once the 4mo goes down for her nap, so far it takes the whole nap. I get a lot done during morning tea & Playschool time. Once I've finished & the baby wakes up we go to the park.

Today my timing was a bit out & things went a bit pear-shaped. The boys just wanted to get out of the house already. So I agreed to let them go down the driveway to pick leaves, along the pathway at the end of our row of townhouses. It worked okay but I was pretty stressed whenever they wandered out of sight.

I'll be interested to see how things improve. This week I have been playing catch up for the week before we went away, washing 2 -3 loads a day. Tonight, for the first time in history, all my washing baskets, both dirty & clean, are empty. I'm hoping this will mean It'll get quicker.

Three Kids & A Playful Baby

2009-10-13T13:38:00.005+11:00

All of a sudden the baby has joined in.

She's 4 months old now & we don't just work around her anymore. For the boys she is now a choice, "Do I play with my sister, or my brother, or my mum, or my dad, or by myself?"

Our 3 yo will ask to hold her for a while & they'll sit together on the lounge for 10 mins or so, totally unassisted. Or he'll roll her on to his tummy from the floor. They'll lie there face to face & 'chat' until the 4mo looks like she might start headbutting with fatigue. Then he'll quickly & gently roll her back again.

The 2yo will hang out with her on her playmat, or stand on his step by her playpen. He's still a bit, "in your face" sometimes, so I can't leave him alone with her much, but he's no longer hitting & kicking her every time I turn around. (I think the holiday really helped him break some habits.) She's also getting her own back by pulling his hair if he lies down on her. So it's a bit less one sided.

The best part is that she interacts. Patiently & excitedly, she wants to touch & talk to her brothers. She looks them straight in the eye & thrills them with a smile. She has begun to play. It really feels like three kids now. Not just two kids & a baby.

Three Kids & A Wet Trailer

2009-10-12T13:27:00.004+11:00

We loved being able to take the Duplo, the bikes, the car mat, the cricket & golf sets, the pram, our crazy/enormous SCENAR blankets, 5 bags, baby stuff galore etc etc because we have a trailer. Our holiday was exactly what it needed to be despite still owning a Toyota Corolla.

However, it rained & rained & poured on, both the trip there &, the trip home (Which was extended by an overnight stay with my Nan). So despite the brilliance of the ideal & the money you save, keeping the small car & buying a trailer has its down (read 'soggy') sides.

The upshot is, after my husband 'packing & unpacking & covering & tying down & untying ropes' 3 times, we're in the market for a bigger car!

We're thinking maybe a Toyota Avensis or The Honda Odyssey.

Anyone got any tips for us?

See previous posts Tip of the Day #1 Buy A Trailer & Three Kids (in Car seats) in a Toyota Corolla for more info.

Tip of the Day #29 Doing the Washing Before You Come Home From Holiday

2009-10-12T13:04:00.006+11:00

A little tip I picked up from my brother & his wife, who we holidayed with last Summer. Wash & dry all your clothes, towels etc before you travel home. This way you can unpack everything straight into the closet.

This is probably less of a bombshell to organised folk but I had never thought of it. I always came home to massive washing piles, made worse by those I hadn't done before we left.

Last week we went to a place with a washer & dryer. I found myself washing everyday. Then popping the clothes in the dryer & folding straight away.

Every environmental sentiment went out the window. I realised me not owning a dryer is what's doing the world some good. Not my environmentalism. I'm sorry to say my convictions were not be strong enough to outweigh the convenience on holiday.

Thanks S & S.

Three Kids & Holidays

2009-10-02T13:45:00.001+10:00

We will be on holidays for a week. We're very excited. Except the 2yo who is sad about his thumb.

Have a good break everyone.

Three Kids & a Sore Thumb

2009-10-02T13:39:00.004+10:00

An injury to the 'sucking thumb' is a disaster. My 2yo is completely miserable.

Tip of the Day #28 Count Ten Days After Immunisations

2009-10-02T11:24:00.002+10:00

A tip I got from my neighbour Rachel, (she got it from our Naturopath) was that kids often react 10 days after an immunization.

Sure enough my 3mo had her 2month needles 10 days ago & last night had a very wakeful night for no particular reason. Today she hasn't managed to sleep longer than 45mins.

I don't think I would have connected the two before.

Three Kids & Chaos

2009-10-02T10:16:00.004+10:00

In our house "chaos" is a reality.

When my eldest started running with the toilet paper, at an early age, I used to say, "Chaos, chaos." Then all of a sudden he took it up. He'd race around the house. Toilet roll above his head, long trails streaming in his wake, yelling, "Chaos!"

Now I find myself saying things like, "No we are not having chaos now, it is time for a rest," when they reach for the toliet paper at inappropriate times.

Sometimes, like this morning, it's more like 'anarchy in one room'. Today we placed the 3mo in a box to watch the boys as they created their very own snow dome from a huge pile of toilet paper in their room.

A few weeks ago the boys were experimenting with organised chaos, up & down the stair case. The 3 yo was the instigator, but the 2yo had a few of his own ideas about the game.

I had to smile when I heard the 3yo yell in frustration, "NO, THAT IS NOT HOW YOU MAKE CHAOS!"

Recipe for Bread & Jam Pudding

2009-10-02T09:34:00.003+10:00

For those nights when all they want is a jam sandwich & all you want is for them to eat some protein. Here is a compromise (& a yummy dessert on other nights). It's my version of bread & butter pudding - no butter & no added sugar.

Bread & Jam Pudding

5 slices of wholemeal bread, spread with jam or marmalade
3 eggs
300mL rice milk (I'm sure you could use cow's milk)
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 handful of sultanas
sprinkle of cinnamon

Preheat oven to 200C
Cut jam & bread into quarters
Place bread in layers in a small baking/casserole dish, with a sprinkle of sultanas between each layer
Whisk eggs, milk, vanilla essence together
Pour liquid over the bread
Dust with cinnamon
Cover
Cook at 200C for 30 mins
Stand to cool before serving

(I cook for 10 mins uncovered, gives it a few different textures)

Tip of the Day #27 Be Prepared to Apologise to your Kids

2009-10-01T08:49:00.004+10:00

Just when things start going smoothly, I usually end up in a giant heap. I think it's God's way of guarding me from pride.

Last night after a great day with my 3yo, but a frustrating day with my 2yo, (I was really expecting him to be a 3yo, expecting him to change overnight, not accepting him as he is, a 2 yo) I was a complete hypocrite.

He cried, the hungry baby cried, they both cried & cried. I tried to make him be quiet. I didn't try to understand his point of view at all, I just insisted on mine. I ended up having my very own tantrum. I yelled, I wanted to hit. Only by God's grace I didn't. He was quiet after the tantrum but the problem was not solved.

After some cool down time & prayer I had to apologise. We talked about the problem but I don't know if it helped.

In the end, once everyone was in bed, I cried.

Three Kids & The Impact of Our Words Part #2

2009-09-30T14:10:00.009+10:00

Bucket List,
originally uploaded by er3465.

2. On Monday, we sat down together to write a list. The 3yo & I.

Once we had written all the letters he wanted to write, (a B, a C, an O & some dots). I got him to close his eyes & imagine that someone had just hurt him. I asked him what he thought he could do instead of falling to the ground & crying at the top of his voice.

Here is what we wrote together:

* 3yo: I could go away, I could run away, I could jump away, I could walk away.

* 3yo: I could go play with the wagon.

* 3yo: I could lean away.

* Mum: I could ask Mum for help without making a big fuss.

* Mum: I could cry & say, "Mum I'm hurt."

* 3yo: I could tell Mum I'm angry.

* 3yo: I could tell the person a new idea.

* Mum: I could say, "I don't like being hit. I'm big & strong. I don't want to hit you so I am going away.

* 3yo: I could say "Let's share."

* We forgot: I could pray.

The next morning, the kids were watching T.V. at 6am. We had gone back to bed. (The baby has recently picked up a 4am feed) This is prime time for fighting!

I had left the boys with the instructions, "If you have a problem, you need to sort it out together. I don't want to hear any fighting or you'll have to go back to bed."

After about 10 mins we hear, "Don't hit me, don't hit me. No! Mum said we had to work it out by ourselves. Let's work it out by ourselves." Then I heard the sounds of Duplo. No more fighting for 10 mins.

Then, "Get out of the way! Move. Move. Dada! Dada!" Then footsteps ups the stairs. Our door opening, "Dad 'the 2yo' won't cooperation, I need your help."

In the afternoon. I have the baby in the bath, when I hear a very loud, 3yo cry, but it calms down enough to say, "Mum I'm hurt."

I say, "You need to come upstairs, I can't come to you."

Another loud cry. Then a tear stained face at the bottom of the stairs, "Mum I bashed my own head, then 'the 2yo' trod on my fingers. I need a cuddle." He had a huge bump under his hair on the side of his head.

All three of these incidents, the previous day would have ended with the 3yo on the floor screaming in anger & frustration.

(For the bigger picture see also Three Kids & The Affectionate Wallop , Three Kids & Sibling Rivalry, Three Kids, The Victim & The Bully, Tip of the Day #21 Activity For Little Carpenters) The Impact of Our Words Part #1,

Three Kids & The Impact of Our Words #1

2009-09-30T13:56:00.006+10:00

Can we sleep as peaceful as children do...i think sometimes we wish we could...,
originally uploaded by nascity.

Over the last week I have done two things with my 3yo. They have both had such amazing outcomes that I thought I'd post them separately. Both have come out of reading Siblings Without Rivalry.

1. Last Friday, I realised I'd been talking about my 3yo, in conversations that he could overhear, as a 'terrible sleeper'. I had then been comparing him, negatively, to his siblings. Since reading the book & remembering things I'd read elsewhere about kids being able to hear their name at 50m. I decided I needed to repent & ask his forgiveness.

I got him alone after a day sleep, when he was in a cuddly mood. I said, "I need to say sorry to you for something that I've said. The thing I said was very wrong. I've said to other people that you are a terrible sleeper. That is wrong. You are not a terrible sleeper. I am very sorry I said that about you."

He looked at me & beamed.

He has not woken in the night since.

(For the bigger picture see also Three Kids & Being a Babywise Failure.)

Three Kids, The Bully & The Victim

2009-09-27T21:33:00.007+10:00

The book I'm reading, Siblings Without Rivalry, is really making me think about the roles my children play within our family & where I/we have encouraged them unwittingly.

There are so many, both those that play out positively (the responsible older brother, the helpful son) and those that seem negative (for example the roles of victim & bully).

I made a huge effort when my eldest was small, never to say, "You're ok, get up, stop crying," whenever he hurt himself. I was keen to acknowledge his feelings & have him express them. I'd say instead, "That must hurt," let him cry, give him a big cuddle & wait till he was ready to stop. Then I'd say, "Are you ok now?"
He'd say, "Yes," and off he'd go.

However, reading this book. I've realised that I have probably contributed to him seeing himself as a victim. Over time I've added words like, "You poor thing," & "Oh dear," and the cuddles have become quite long.

Since his brother has come on the scene, his reactions, to being injured, have become more & more like David Beckham taking a dive.

Looking back, to when his brother was born, & thinking about what I do now with a new baby, it is probably the one time he can be guaranteed that I will put down the baby & give him my full attention. It is also the only time he ever 'demands' attention, otherwise he is very self sufficient.

His brother, being 2, has begun to try new ways of getting my attention. His favourites are hitting & making jokes. Looking at it in light of this book, these two get the best reactions. The hitting leaves his brother in a screaming heap & brings me running. The jokes make everybody laugh.

With the hitting the two boys have been reinforcing each other's behaviour & have begun to step into 'reverse roles' the older victim & the younger bully.

So this week I have been making a huge effort to see them both differently. I have stopped focusing on how 'sensitive' the older boy is & how 'rough' the younger one can be & tried to just see them as image bearers of God. I have been describing what I see instead of trying to solve the problems & saying things to encourage the boys to see themselves & each other as capable of so much more than the role they are playing & capable of resolving their own issues.

It seems to be helping but I am amazed how entrenched the older boy is in his role, not just with his brother but with friends & total strangers in the park too. (The irony is, he is very powerful himself & could usually knock the other kid to the ground without trying.)

I am making the effort to spend time with each one alone each day to give them my full attention. I want them to know they can get attention just because they are themselves but it is very hard some days.

Three Kids & A Secret Garden

2009-09-25T22:29:00.002+10:00

The Secret Garden,
originally uploaded by bonksie61.

The kids & I stumbled, quite by accident, upon the perfect park today.

We were looking for a shop, that no longer exists, in a busy industrial area early this morning. Once we'd established that the shop was missing, I started heading for the nearest park.

I made the fortuitous decision to, drive the long way round to, avoid a right hand turn across traffic. As we looped back I caught sight, out of the corner of my eye, of colourful play equipment behind the trees lining the street. Taking a second glance I realised it was part of an enormous hidden park encircled by tall trees.

I did a U-turn, pulled to a screeching halt & opened the car door. The boys caught the magic & were gone. I spent 5 minutes organising a picnic rug, hats & the pram for the baby before following.

It was like walking into Frances Hodgson-Burnett's book in widescreen.

The equipment, old style, not a protective piece of rubber in sight, was spread temptingly at one end. Swings; with extra long chains that swung straight into the sky, Slides; with an element of danger, that invited climbing the wrong way back up, after giving you that exhillarating 'drop' to the stomach on the way down. A wooden car with a caravan trailer that could drive as far as the imagination. It all looked weathered & worn but to our eyes it was treasure. There was not a fence in sight.

The equipment gave way gently to rolling grassy fields that conjured up visions of older boys playing long kicking games & younger children running & rolling down the embankments.

We stayed & played for 2 hours. Two 'nanna's walked their dogs across the field, taking a short cut through the park. Five minutes before we left a father & son arrived on a bike. They were the only people we saw.

(The park I had been heading to averages 10-100 children at a time everyday)

On the way home, my 3yo said sleepily, "Is it nearly bed time? Or dinner time?" It was only 11am.

My dilemma now is; should I tell anyone where it is, or keep it as 'our secret'?

Recipe for Saturday Morning Pancakes

2009-09-25T21:27:00.002+10:00

pancakes,
originally uploaded by Timothy Gerdes.

We had the best weekend on record in our marriage last weekend. Part of it included pancakes on Saturday morning after an early morning whole family walk/bike ride & play at the park.

We sat down together to relax with Jack Johnson's Curious George Album, a family-photo slide show on the Mac, a punnet of strawberries, yoghurt, honey, slices of banana, lots of water to drink & a stack of these healthy pancakes.

Saturday Morning Pancakes
2 cups of milk
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup quick oats
1/2 cup wholemeal plain flour
1 tablespoon caster sugar
2 eggs

I just throw it all in & stir with a wooden spoon. Then cook using Olive Oil.

The boys ate 2 each. We had 3 & could have eaten more.

Three Kids & A Dust Storm

2009-09-23T13:14:00.002+10:00

Red Dust View of Sydney Harbour Bridge,
originally uploaded by gdaysydneysider.

I'm not sure if you've seen the pictures of Sydney at the moment or if, like me, you're looking at it out the window. If you are out in it you have my sympathy & prayers!

This morning my 3 yo came racing in at 6.00am to our room yelling "Come and see what's blown down outside!" We assumed there must be a big branch in the yard. But instead we pulled back the curtains to find that world had turned orange.

I am really thankful that my husband filled in all the drafts over winter. We're fairly dust free inside as long as we don't open a door.

But once the novelty wore off the kids went a bit stir crazy inside. We made banana muffins & ice blocks. But no one wanted to have a teddy bear's picnic.

So I went back to the Family Education.com web site. This time the Toddler Rainy Day Activities, since it was the toddler who needed the most engagement.

It's like having a brain online. I could spend all day thinking with my own baby brain & never come up with anything as simple or as interesting to the kids.

We decided to make an indoor sandbox. The kids got right into it.

I pulled out two old sheets, covered the lounge room floor. Pulled out all kinds, shapes & sizes of containers. Put them on the sheets. Then filled a few of them with rice, dried beans & puffed rice. The boys spent ages pouring from one container to another & generally running their hands through the beans. They even discovered you could blow the puffed rice off the top.

Then the 3yo made a "shaker" & said lets make some music & dance. So we made a second shaker & put on their favourite tunes.

Afterwards, we did a bit of a clean up & as we were shaking the sheets it turned into hide & seek, then we made a cubby, where we spent the rest of the morning in a delightful way. Shopping for the new "house", having a tea party, a sing-a-long with the boy's guitars & finally lunch before rest time.

The dust storm continues to rage but the world is a little less orange.

Tip of the Day # 26 Bi Carb Laundry Powder

2009-09-22T07:23:00.003+10:00

If you dilute your laundry powder at a 50:50 ratio with bi carb soda you save a fortune & still have a nice bright wash.
We use a concentrated laundry powder without any fillers or phosphates. Works out at around 15c a wash with the bicarb.

Three Kids & a Compost Bin

2009-09-19T20:11:00.001+10:00

We live in a large town house complex. So we were a little reticent to buy a compost bin. What if it became smelly? Could it attract rats? Would we be violating any strata laws?

But the more I went up to the bin area, with our rubbish, the more I knew we needed one.

70 homes produce a lot of land fill & we were definitely doing our bit to add to it.

We compromised, with a worm farm, but we were not very successful farmers. Our worms stayed scrawny & could only ever manage to eat about a cupful of very finely chopped vegetable scraps once a month. Not a great solution to the problem. More of a finicky & slimy, hobby.

About a year ago I tried to go plastic bag free, at least. For about a month I, diligently, wrapped bin loads of food scraps in newspaper, before putting them in the bin.

I told my sister, who lives in a free standing house, of my convictions & she went out & bought a compost bin.

Needless to say, she lasted bag free & we didn’t. Perhaps if we didn’t have so far to go to dump the trash & I wasn’t pregnant we may have made it. But I became disorganised & the bags crept back.

So, a couple of weeks ago we took the plunge. We bought the compost bin. Set it up at one end of the veggie patch & have been busily composting ever since.

We shop with our 'green' bags, recycle all the paper, plastic, tins etc, wrap all other food scraps in newspaper & put everything else in the bin without a liner.

We are finally plastic bag free.

Our 3yo has taken on the role as Chief Composter & we already have a resident Blue Tongue Lizard amongst the egg shells.

Tip of the Day #26 Paper Toys

2009-09-18T21:20:00.007+10:00

Here is a delightful website for making paper toys.
Marylin Scott-Waters is an illustrator & says on her site, "my goal is to help grownups and kids spend time together making things."

I asked my mum a few weeks ago what she remembers doing as a child without T.V. She said she made a lot of paper dolls.

If you're not so artistic there are some positively delightful, pre-drawn, colourful, paper Otters with paper dress-ups to download. (Look under OTTERS) There are also many clever & interesting paper designs, from boxes to theatres to stunt planes. They can be downloaded for free (look under FREE TOYS). I thought we might make some Koi Kites to hang in the garden.

Visit http:/www.thetoymaker.com

Three Kids & the Preschool Countdown

2009-09-18T20:57:00.002+10:00

The kids & I dropped in, this morning, to the 3yo's preschool, for next year, to pay a deposit. It's the third time he's seen it. He's quietly jumping out of his skin with excitement.

I have been so thankful that he got a place for next February. He is very ready & I think his 2yo brother will be ready by then to be without him (although he isn't yet) for 2 days 9.00- 3.00.

Every time we pop in I am reassured that it is just the right place.

It does feel strange though. We have an 'information night' coming up. My husband & I were talking about it the other night. He said, "You realise Lauren, that this will be the first, of many, times that someone stands up & tells us how our kids are going to be looked after. Instead of us telling other people how our kids need to be looked after."

As a teacher, it is bizarre to be the parent.

Tip of the Day # 25 Laminated Cake Decorations

2009-09-17T14:43:00.002+10:00

Not the most environmentally friendly, but a kid friendly & parent friendly alternative to piping your decorations, or using lollies on the cake, is to laminate.

We did a Wiggles cake for our 2yo's birthday last weekend. He loves the Wiggles & they were the only people he personally invited.

We were ridiculously disorganised. But we managed to create a Wiggles Big Red Car cake quite easily. Thanks to a tip from my neighbour Rachel & the loan of her laminator.

(In fact it took longer to make the mixture than it did to do the decorating. I attempted to do it on the sly without the kids. That meant I spent hours setting them up to play only, to have them give up because, they'd rather be cooking with me.) We did the decorating while they were asleep.

I made two cakes. A loaf pan & a slab pan. (Used triple cake mixture)
Froze the cakes to make icing & shaping easier.
Covered tray with Wiggles wrapping paper & plastic wrap.
Put frozen slab on the tray. Iced the slab with chocolate icing
Cut the loaf into the shape of a car. (That's my husbands' job, Actually he did all the icing & shaping while I made the decorations)
Ice the car with red icing.
Cut all figures out of the Wiggles "Big Red Car" paper.
Cut a large Wiggles sign for the front & two smaller ones from the sides of the car.
Cut two lights out of aluminum foil.
Cut 4 black circles for tyres out of black paper.
Cut 4 smaller circles out of the Wiiggles paper (Red, blue, yellow & purple.) Cut the coloured circles into quarters.
Arranged the quarters into 4 multi-coloured hubcaps on the black circles.
Then laminated the lot on one A4 sheet.

(My tip is do the wheels without gluing, (glue runs in the laminator) So they need to be put at the top of the sheet so they stay together easily.)

Recipe for Birthday Cake Icing

2009-09-17T12:27:00.005+10:00

This is our tried & true birthday cake icing recipe. I think it comes from my husband's mum. We have been using it since we were dating & making crazy cakes for people. I think my husband has been using it much longer. (He loves birthday cake making).

Icing for Birthday Cakes

125 g (4oz) butter @ room temperature
2 cups icing sugar
1 tsp milk to soften
Food colouring galore

For Chocolate it's 3Tablespoons of cocoa to 1 cup of icing sugar.
For Red Icing you need almost 2/3 of a 50mL bottle of Pillar Box Red colouring.

Recipe for A Birthday Cake

2009-09-17T12:17:00.005+10:00

Found this delicious & easy birthday cake mix over at Best Recipes I have used it quite a few times now. I used to use a packet mix for birthdays but this tastes better & is not difficult at all.

It is a good one to do with the kids provided they are safe with an electric mixer. It usually takes no time at all to whip up. (Although, I was pretty disorganised this time & it took forever.)

Ingredients
2 eggs
125 g butter
1 cup sugar
2 cups self raising flour
2/3 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla

Method

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl of an electric mixer
Beat on low speed until well blended then beat on high speed for 3 minutes.
Grease a 28 x 18cm lamington tin, and line the base with grease proof paper.
Pour mixture into tin and bake in a moderate oven for 30-40 minutes.
When cold ice with icing of choice.

Three Kids & a Slow Week

2009-09-15T19:53:00.003+10:00

I was always a fix-it-now kind of girl. I'm good in a crisis. But that meant I tended to live in one, jumping from one thing to the next.

I have a husband who suffered with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) for 9 years. (Five of them married) The Fix-it-now side of me spent the first five years of my marriage researching madly - looking for new treatments & trying new things to help him.

However, living with his CFS (& with my husband) has transformed me into a slow-down-before-you-fall-down kind of girl. It taught me a lot of patience.

As a parent it's an interesting mix. I tend to see a problem & apply both sides of me to it.

Fix it, fix it, fix it. Give it time, take it slow, leave room to rest, everything has its own time.

The fix-it-now side of me, this week, is reading up on;

Activities to do with my kids (so that we can watch less T.V., spend more quality time together, allow active imaginations)
Strategies for parenting (to help reduce/prevent any escalation of sibling rivalry that is naturally part of having a new sibling & it's manifestations).

The slow-down-before-you-fall-down side of me has said,

You need;

early nights,
to focus on God,
to do all the housework in the day, so both you & your husband can rest & spend time together in the evenings,
to cancel everything so you can just 'be' with the kids,
pre-cooked meals for every night.

It's only Tuesday but the repercussions are already wonderful.

Three Kids & a Sign

2009-09-14T21:49:00.002+10:00

Shop Sign,
originally uploaded by cornishmoth.

One of the ideas from the new book - that I liked & have put into practice today is writing, to pre-literate kids, to help sort out problems with siblings.

I took the problem of our 2yo's habit of hitting everybody (hard) for no clear reason & I wrote a couple of 'signs' that I stuck on his siblings.

His sister 'wrote' him a sign that said, "Dear Brother, I am small, please do not hit me. Love from your sister," (I used their real names, of course, on the sign). I then taped the sign to her tummy & read it aloud to the 2yo.

He was impressed and wanted one for himself. So I wrote "Brothers are for loving, not for hitting" & sticky taped it to his back.

The third sign was for the 3yo. I asked him to tell me what to write. He wrote, "Dear Brother, I love you, don't hit me, from your Brother."

Over the course of the day, the 2yo was frustrated & tired at different stages. (This seems to be when the words run out & the hitting gets worse - even if he doesn't seem 'unhappy'.) I think he had a headache, at least at one point. However, the hitting was reduced.

Every time he hit a sibling, I would comfort the one who had been hit then, say, "No, what does his/her sign say?" Then read it aloud. It would completely stop the 2yo in his tracks. A few times, we managed to prevent the hitting altogether by reading the signs when he started to look dangerous. I managed to avoid all time-outs & threats of time out.

I plan to put the signs back on tomorrow & see how it continues.

(You might also like to read Three Kids & Sibling Rivalry to better understand this post)

Three Kids & Sibling Rivalry

2009-09-14T21:14:00.003+10:00

Sibling Rivalry,
originally uploaded by Wandering Istra.

My 2yo is really 2 now. He had his birthday last Thursday & his party on the weekend. He seems to have matured over night.

He had a delightful birthday & party. He really knew it was his special day.

What also impressed me was seeing his 3yo brother getting excited for him & encouraging him to enjoy the day. I was thrilled because sibling rivalry has been on my mind.

My husband & I have made a huge effort to meet sibling rivalry head on, knowing that two boys 15 months apart could mean terrible envy & insecurity.

Lately I have been thinking about, the effect of lazy parenting on, the rivalry between my kids. It seems to me that when I don't make the effort to parent well, because I am too tired or too busy, the fighting, between my boys, gets worse.

I need to qualify this, in case people think my boys are terrors, they are not.

The boys are absolutely gorgeous. I love being their mum. They play well together & treat each other with gentleness & kindness. They are so much fun to be around & they amaze me with their thoughtfulness.

However, no-one in this family is perfect.

Looking back over the last three months, since we've introduced a 3rd sibling, I realised we've been slipping into 'short term goal mode'. That is, we have been encouraging competition, just to get things done quickly, forgetting that the fall out is long term.

So I have gone back to an 'old faithful' parenting book, for a refresher, & bought myself a newbie - specifically on Sibling Rivalry.

My old faithful is: "The Secret of Happy Children" by Steve Biddulph
The newbie is: "Siblings Without Rivalry - How to Help Your Children Live Together So You Can Live Too." by Adele Faber & Elaine Mazlish. Both available at the Three Kids & A Pot of Cold Tea Book Store.

I know some of you must have good recommendations for parenting books too. Love to hear them.

Tip of the Day #24 Fruit Jelly Cups

2009-09-12T16:40:00.002+10:00

Jelly cups were really popular today at my 2yo’s birthday party. I’d never made them before. I Added a few pieces of colour coordinated fruit eg. Blueberries in the Blue Jelly, Chopped Strawberries in the red jelly, in an attempt at a yummy, but healthyish snack.

Unfortunately, I found out the hard way that, Pineapple pieces stop the yellow jelly from setting.

I haven’t tried this but heard today of clever people who have....

Cut an orange in half & pull out the edible part, leaving the skin intact (as an empty semi-sphere.). Fill with jelly & set. When the jelly has set, cut the orange halves into quarters. You have some pretty impressive looking jelly quarters that the kids can eat without spoons & the rubbish can be composted.

Serve cold.

Does any one know a natural fruit jelly recipe?

Three Kids & Discontent

2009-09-09T20:53:00.003+10:00

sad face,
originally uploaded by laura the artist.

I have been a little stressed & sad since Sunday night and the kids are catching it.

It seems to lift a little each morning.

But I had a cleaner come for the first time today, (we've employed her once a month), so I assumed I'd be euphoric.

Instead I've been naggy & cranky this afternoon again & my eyes feel like they're about to fall out. Breast feeding has been sending me to sleep, which is not really a good thing.

My 3yo didn't sleep today - he's on & off at the moment. However, he clearly needed one because, tonight in the bath, he completely lost it. He was so sad he was practicing his saddest face in the mirror & crying with himself.

I found my self unable to do what I really wanted to do which was pick him up in my arms & hold him tight & say, "Let's just sit here & cuddle till you feel better,".

But I didn't. His crying upset his brother - who also burst into tears because he didn't know what was going on, (& I would say felt ill at ease because his mother & elder brother have been on edge for a few days).

They both started scrabbling for my lap, howling all the while. So instead of being compassionate. I found myself getting cross & threatening time-outs & telling them to "pull themselves together!" Uuuugh.

Some exhausted days I find myself coveting the lives of people with just one child. I'm tempted to be discontented when it gets difficult. I see myself "failing" to meet the needs, I perceive, of all my children. I grumble that I don't have help, 'like others' do'. I feel guilty.

But I am blind in those moments & I am believing lies.

I have help. I have comfort. I have strength. I have joy in my sadness. I have peace in my stress. I have enough to meet every need for all my children. I have Jesus.

I just need to put it all at His feet.

Home Remedy #4 Cradle Cap = Oil

2009-09-09T15:28:00.004+10:00

Cradle Cap Be Gone!,
originally uploaded by leighsteele77.

I thought I'd blog this for people like me with tight lipped mothers.

After I'd gotten rid of my boys' cradle cap earlier this year, I was so relieved that, I ran around telling everyone.

When I told my mother she said 'Oh yes I knew that.'

I asked, 'Why didn't you tell me?'

'Oh you never tell your children anything," she said.

So for cradle cap - I would suggest waiting a little time till it's well established. Maybe 6 months - 1 year would be ideal. I tried it on the baby at about 10weeks but it didn't all come off, like it did for the boys. However, it is harder with long hair so I'll try again in a few months, since I have a "hairy" baby. They really need to sit or stand still for a longish period. Rusks are a good idea for younger kids.

Do the following 1/2 hour before bathtime. (In the bath is also okay if it's going to be a longish bath. Sometimes that's the best way to contain kids, for such an exercise.)

#1 Pour oil on the child's scalp. (I used Baby Oil - but it is a petroleum based product & not really safe in large amounts since the skin absorbs it into the blood stream. I was just too lazy to go down stairs & bring up the Olive oil. People who use Olive oil have said their child smelt a bit like a pizza for a few days but it worked well. The kid in the photo's mum used Grapeseed oil.)

#2 Massage oil into the scalp.

After 1/2hour the kids enjoy a nice warm bath.

#3 Wash hair in warm water at the end of the bath. (This step is not necessary - it just makes the cradle cap softer, so it's faster than the oil on it's own.)

#4 Comb the scalp closely with a baby comb (or very fine tooth comb) after the bath. Good light will help you see where to comb. It all comes off. Takes 5-10mins of solid combing. Probably longer if the child doesn't have a crew cut like my boys did.

#5 Shampoo afterwards. I did it the next night. (Don't use a shampoo with Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) as the foaming agent, - it is damaging to kids' developing eyes & can cause skin irritations - from rashes to eczema. It also stays in the organs & can cause more problems. If you want to know more about this and find out about some safe alternatives see My Health Website. Username 'ghs' Password 'crown')

Tip of the Day #23 Try Nairn's Oat Biscuits

2009-09-08T08:43:00.002+10:00

A huge parcel arrived at the door this morning with all sorts of goodies in it. A parcel from the postman is treat enough! But inside were pressies for everyone's birthdays & some healthy & delicious food treats.
One of the treats was a box of Nairn's Oat Biscuits Stem Ginger. Yum says everyone! The website shows two more Oat Biscuit flavours & a stack of other products I might try too!

Three Kids & Missing the Baby

2009-09-08T08:21:00.002+10:00

The baby is a delight. Full of smiles & gentle touches. Supremely patient.

Everyone in the family is smitten.

This week I have really missed her. She started sleeping through the night. 12hours of uninterrupted sleep. What a blessing for her & me. It means I might sometimes get 8 hours myself (not so far, but we live in hope. See Three Kids & Being a Babywise Failure)

But it meant she dropped the late night (10pm) feed & her early morning 5am feed on the same day. Suddenly I have no time alone with the baby.

I realised I need to make special time for her in the midst of everybody else. I was tending to feed then put her down for a play or carry her about without really looking at her or speaking to her. I was protecting her & facilitating everyone else spending time with her but not really making special relating time apart from nappy changes.

So I've been working on making the time. I take my hat off to all my friends with more kids!

Tip of the Day #23 Give Them Vegies in a Cup

2009-09-07T14:27:00.002+10:00

14.08 Mr orange meets the juicer,
originally uploaded by lorian45.

We inherited (literally) a juicer.

Not a big juicer really. Just a one person juicer, or, as I've recently discovered, a two kids sized juicer.

Last week I juiced up a few unpopular items from our Veg box for afternoon tea.

3 large & very seedy mandarins
1 zucchini
1 carrot
& 8 tiny toms from our garden

The kids, who really are deprived when it comes to drinks that aren't water or rice milk, thought they were in heaven. The 3yo also loved pushing the vegies down with the vegie pusher thing!

I was pretty stoked because they've never eaten zucchini!