A Tradition - Family Dinner Night

We have a "Family Dinner" every Wednesday night. That is, my Mum and Step-Dad (SD aka Grandad to my kids) have dinner (predominantly at our house) every Wednesday night. Either Mum or I will cook and it could be a staple meal like Shepherds Pie or Spaghetti Bolognaise or it's a new recipe we have found and want to try out (family make the best guinea pigs!!)

It began as a regular night when Mum started looking after Grotbag on a Wednesday when I went back to work when he was 10 months old. And has been a permanent night on the calendar ever since.

Apart from Bugalugs (we eat after he goes to bed) we all sit at the table and have a meal together. We talk about our day, what is going on in the family, important family dates coming up etc. Grotbag will tell us about his day at school or critic the meal alla Masterchef style!

Although in our house we don't have desert every night, there is always desert at Family Dinner as my SD has a sweet tooth and Hubby tries to pretend he doesn't but always has two helpings!! Again it can be as simple and ice-cream in a cone or a new desert recipe Mum or I have found. Below is a Bakewell Tart - a family favourite desert!

SD is pounced on as soon as he walks in the door by Grotbag with a "can you play with me Grandad???" to which SD will grab a quick drink and disappears into the playroom to become a a Jedi Knight and fight with the light sabres or play cars, Lego whatever Grotbag can convince him to play.

We don't see them till dinner time!!

Meanwhile dinner is bubbling away and I will bath and get Bugalugs ready for bed and Mum and I will try and squeeze in a quick cooking show on Lifestyle Food!

After dinner we all chill out on the sofa and let our meals go down and watch a bit of TV (usually Masterchef...can you see a theme here?.)

Grotbag gives kisses all round and then one of us will put him to bed. Shortly after Mum & SD will go home and another Family Dinner will be over.

I love Family Dinner night.

The weeks that Hubby is home it gives him a chance to catch up with his in-laws. Sometimes we are all so busy it is the only night he will see them while he is home.

It gives me and Mum a good excuse to try out new recipes, bounce food ideas off each other and actually have the time to cook something new.

The biggest benefit though is for my boys. Grotbag LOVES family dinner night. Passionately. He hates it if for some reason we don't get together. He often mentions sitting at the table with "The Family" and will often remark at the table "let's all have a little chat". He loves going out to restaurants with all the extended family of Aunts, Uncles, Cousins etc. So much so that he drew a picture of all of us going out for a Chinese meal at school for his "What I did at the weekend" picture. Even though he has also gone to two birthday parties and one that was a bowling party!!

Bugalugs is a bit young to fully appreciate Family Dinner, especially as it is the one night he doesn't eat with anyone. He has his meal at 5pm and usually Grotbag and I will all sit at the table and we all eat together. But Family Dinner will be ingrained in his routine as he gets older and he will look forward to it just as Grotbag does.

Some people look horrified when I tell them that we have Family Dinner night. Some people remark that they couldn't do it as regular night as their family drive them crazy or their schedules are out of sync. But the thing is that every ones family makes them crazy and if everyone makes it a permanent night on the calendar then it is in every ones schedule.

So I look forward to Family Dinner, a time to catch up, cook up and share. It's the best family tradition I have and I cherish it every week!

So do you have a regular family dinner? Do you eat at the table with your kids most nights? Do you think families eating together can be beneficial?

INTERPRETING WHAT A 11 MONTH OLD WANTS VIA SCREAMING - IF ONLY I KNEW HOW I WOULD EARN MILLIONS!

So Bugalugs has decided after 11 months he has had enough of being a placid, giggly, cute as a button baby and turned into Rosemary's Baby!

If I leave the room = screaming

If he thinks I might leave the room = screaming

If I put the dogs in the garden because he is watching them = screaming

Pick him up = screaming

Put him down = screaming

Put him in the swing outside = giggles - but only for about 15 mins then = screaming

Seriously the child has become a nightmare and for the life of me I cannot decipher what the hell he wants!!

Usually he is like this:

Then it dissolves into this:

Typical man sending me mixed signals!

There is only so much you can blame teething on right?

He has also become seriously offended by me putting him in his playpen. OK so the Mummy police I don't want to hear what you think of playpens or prisons as some of you might think - just a warning - not the blog to comment!!

He loved it and I knew he was safe and on the only rug in the house and he couldn't put Grotbags Lego or Hot Wheels cars in his mouth.

Oh no..now he wants to roam around...and despite having the entire catalogue of toys made by Fisher Price he thinks that the DVR and Wii are much better toys to touch and hear mummy say a firm "NO!". THE ONLY things he can reach that I can't move anywhere else. Either that or the hard drive on the computer which now has some elaborate cage system around it made up from other toys from the playroom!

So I am happy to have him roam, I think it's kind of cute if he follows me around and really there is not much to touch. If he wants to put a handful of dust bunnies in his mouth then hey, I'm cool with that too. BUT he will be roaming around having a wander then all of a sudden sit up, scream and cry like a proper tantrum! So I will pick him up.

Still screaming.

Drink. Food. Nappy. Put down again. All result in the screaming and then just as sudden as it started. Stops!

I really am scratching my head on this one and just hoping it passes. And soon!

Mummy just can't take this for much longer!!!!

It Only Takes A Second!

Finally the weather has decided to catch up with the season here in Perth and today was a beautiful 't-shirt & thongs' warm Spring day in Perth. (Thongs as in Haviana's not Victoria Secret's!!)

Grotbag and I headed off one of his Kindy friends 5th birthday party today and as the weather was nice he was told to bring his swimming stuff so all the kids can go in the pool.

Bit too cold for me and the rest of the mums but we smothered the kids in sunscreen and let them swim standing around the pool watching them enjoy the sunshine! This was the first time I had let Grotbag go in the pool without me being in with him.

Now Grotbag has swimming lessons every week (and had been to a lesson this morning) but is a bit scared of deep water where he can't touch the bottom. Believe me he is no risk taker this kid except when you put him on wheels - scooters & skateboards are a preference then I have my heart in my mouth watching him.

Anyway he decided the best thing to do was hang out with one of his mates on the steps. All us mums were inside the pool fence watching the kids and chatting. No more than arms reach away from the kids. Everyone is having fun.

After about 20 Min's Grotbag decides he would like to have a go on one of the boogie boards, lay on it and have a kick around. I said he could but to be careful.

It happened in seconds, the boogie board tipped and he went under. He came up but panicked and forgot how to swim and so I jumped in and pulled him up (yes fully clothed).

He was OK! He cried! And rightly so he was spooked! So I sat with him on the step. I didn't want to make a HUGE deal out of it for him because I didn't want to create a bad association with swimming and pools. We live in Australia and swimming is a MUST here, the last thing I want is for him to have a big fear of water. So I just held him told him he was fine now and gave him a big cuddle. Within 5 Min's he was fine and back splashing. Mum to the rescue!

It only takes a second. And in that second I was so scared but also focused on getting him up, nothing else mattered.

He has never worn armbands or a float vest but I think I will be investing in one tomorrow and joining him in the pool from now on even if the water is a bit cold! The alternative is unthinkable!

So, have you ever had any close calls with your kids or family members? Has it changed the way you think or do anything to change the outcome next time?

The Lazy Blogger - Part One

Another weekend where Hubby is home (remember I only get 17 or 18 of these a year) and as usual we have had social engagements rivalling Paris Hilton. Hence why my blog has been a bit sparce on content.


We had friends over last night and I cooked an Indian Banquet. 3 curries, pompadoms, chutneys, riata's, nann bread and rice. I even have the balti dishes and burners that they sit on all laid out down the middle of the table. So my post today was to show you this magnificent feast. But I forgot to take photos.


So if there is no proof (apart from left overs in my fridge) in blog land....did it really happen?


So in leiu of an original post I looked back on some of the very first posts I wrote. Back when I only had 4 people reading (and they all knew me) and before I pimped myself out to SITS.


I found two (the other one I will post tomorrow) that I really liked and would like my new followers and those popping in from SITS (Hi there!!) to read. Plus I have a million dishes to clean and to find some way to get the smell of curry out of my house, all while the Hubby has his ass fused to the couch watching Bathurst! My Aussie bloggers will know what I mean!


So enjoy part one of The Lazy Blogger series!



A HEAVY BAG.




Today, Hubby & I met 2 other couples for lunch at Feral Brewery in the Swan Valley. I love the fact that even though it is Winter in Perth the place was busy with people enjoying good food and drink even if it meant co-ordinating a scarf with your outfit. This was one of a few meals out we have been too while Hubby has been home.


The difference between our table and the majority of the other tables today were the addition of kids. Small kids. Three 4 year olds & two babies (and one on the way which doesn't count as they brought their own seat)!


A few years ago Before Kids (BK) lunch with friends just meant an impromptu phone call, picking a nice outfit, jumping in the car and spending a leisurely afternoon (and possibly evening) chatting, drinking and eating. Oh how times have changed. First you have to organise a date and make sure everyone is free. Especially for us seeing as my Hubby's job involves him flying in and out. So the date is usually set months in advance. God help me if it has to be changed!!


Gone are the days of spending an hour getting ready! I'm lucky if I manage to have a shower without an audience and its long enough to wash my hair (drying it may be optional!). There are 2 other people to get ready, well, 3 if you include Hubby. But luckily, although he can dress himself.


Then there is "The Bag" to pack!


"The Bag" has to consist of everything you 'might' need while on the outing. Basics includes, nappies & bottles and other baby stuff for Bugalugs plus a plethora of entertainment items for Grotbag to keep him occupied. Because inevitably if you are at a kid friendly restaurant the kids will be fed first leaving them to be completely bored by the time you receive your meal. Colouring books, ipods and handheld game consoles have become life savers in these times of need. I can never leave Hubby to pack the bag as something is always left out and I end up having to fold origami style nappies out of paper towels!


Once at the restaurant there is a shuffle of seating arrangement to accommodate prams, men and women and kids in between. Hubby hates to be seated in the wrong position making him privy to menstrual cycles, birthing stories, the latest on Masterchef and other such girly topics. Gone are the days of political banter and mixed sex conversations. Time is of the essence and plus, colouring in while talking about Kevin Rudd can be a bit distracting.


There is never all the adults at the table at the one time. They are either off supervising the kids on playground equipment or seeing to the younger set of babies. Food turns up and you eat it as quickly as possible so that you can take the baby off your partner so he can eat his dinner which is getting colder by the minute. Meanwhile ice cream turns up for the kids so you know that the meal is nearly over before you have even looked at your desert menu. Then you look at the time and realise the dreaded 'witching' hour is close at hand and the kids heads are going to start spinning round exorcist style spewing phrases like "I'm tired", "can we go home now", "I don't want to go home" etc etc.


So you say your goodbyes, and say that "you must simply do this more often, why do we leave it so long". Talk about how you should all "go away one weekend with the kids" all while trying to get your kids to say goodbye nicely and not run in front of cars in the car park!


The thing is, I love meeting my friends for lunch out and about with the kids. We all have a great time despite and because of all the things above. Going out for a meal may not be the same as a few short years ago, but I would rather go out and have to be a bit more organised than not go! How lucky am I that I have the opportunity to go and have lunch with friends? Having to do it differently is not better or worse than before kids, it just takes more organisation and more stuff.


In other words. Your bag just gets heavier!!

Mother's Not Welcome

Never been before heres a little bit about me to get you started.


So as Father's Day is this Sunday here in Australia, Grotbag's school hold a special Dad's Night before Father's Day where Dad's can go with their children to see some work they have done and also give their Dad's the cards and pressies they had made. It was from 6.30pm to 7pm in their class and Grotbag had no Dad to take. This happens to us all the time, as Hubby works away in the mines for 2 weeks and then is home for one week (one of the pitfalls) but luckily we have a great family network and so he had a few other replacements to pick from. He chose his Grandad (my Step-Dad) who was pleased as punch to be asked.


When I dropped Grotbag at school the day before the Dad's Night there were rumblings between the other Kindy Mum's. Knowing my predicament with Dad's Night they cautiously informed me that at the Pre-Primary Class across the playground, the teacher had put up a sign (yes she actually put one up for all to see) that read "Please note: Mother's are NOT welcome on Dad's night" I couldn't believe it. Really in this day and age where there is no such thing as a "normal" family that she could actually put up a sign to say that the Mother's were not welcome!


Imagine being in a situation where the Father of your child, for whatever reason, was unavailable to go to "Dad's Night" at the school and you had no other male figure in your child's life that could also go along. Now imagine having to tell your child that he can't go to school for Dad's Night, even with Mum because the Teacher said Mother's were not welcome. This could have well been the case for our family if we didn't have any other family close to us and it just makes me so mad. How insensitive!!


There are so many what if's like what if there is no Dad around because of separation, illness or because they have passed away. What if the child has two Mummy's or two Daddy's (can they both go?) - and I am sure you are thinking of a dozen more right now - that make the sign SO WRONG.


I am thankful that my child's teacher does not share the same mentality and welcomed any family member to go. Grotbag's Grandad was welcomed warmly and had a great time looking at all of Grotbag's school work.


There are so many family dynamics these days that consideration and sensitivity at these special night should be taken into account. As should we all have the same consideration and sensitivity to others in life.


Mother's and Father's should ALWAYS be welcomed when it comes to being a part of their children's lives.


Sure hope Grotbag doesn't get her for a teacher next year. I can feel my claws coming out now!!!

Grotbag & His Grandad

It’s All About Me People!

When I first started writing my blog the only people that read it were family and friends and let’s face it they know all about the real “me”. But I thought I would write a bit of a back story of myself to let those new and wonderful people who come across my blog know a little bit more about moi!

I was born in the UK, London to be precise.

My parents divorced when I was 9 and when I was 12 my mum married a wonderful man who is my step-dad.

My step dad is English but lived in Australia so we immigrated to Perth Western Australia in 1985. Best decision ever!

My dad still lives in the UK, we don’t speak often, he is re-married.

I am an only child. I have no siblings not even halves or steps. What are the chances of that! And no I was not spoilt. However, I am very close to my cousin Bling who is like a sister. She also lives in Australia and we speak nearly everyday.

I went to a local high school. I was the girl that got along with everyone, very bubbly and just your average student. I am still friends with the girls I went to High School with. They are the family I choose!

I had a steady boyfriend through High School. A few long term relationships (and a few doozies) in my 20’s and met my wonderful husband on a blind date through a family friend in 2002. We got married in beautiful winery in 2004.

We had our first child together in 2005 – a beautiful boy named Oliver AKA Grotbag.
My hubby has been married before and I have two teenage step-children who live in the UK. The eldest has visited us here in Australia the other one will be out here in a couple of years to visit.
After 2 miscarriages in 2007 Hubby and I went down the IVF route and were extremely lucky first time. In February 2009 my gorgeous little miracle Harry was born AKA Bugalugs.

I have worked in retail and hospitality. I have been a Business Analyst, wanted to work in PR but was too old (?) and most recently worked in Accounts. All “jobs” no “careers”.

But my favourite most rewarding job and also the hardest one I have ever done is being a Mother. I strive to be the best mum and wife every day even though that does not always happen.

I have two dogs, a chocolate lab called Sye and a cocker spaniel called Jasper. We all live in a modest 4 bedroom 2 bathroom home north of Perth CBD and 5 minutes from the ocean. Perth really is Australia’s best kept secret. My Hubby works away for 2 weeks and is home for one so I am the only parent for 2/3 of the year. It works for us.

I have recently discovered my joy of writing, even though I am not very good at it, I could sit at the computer all day and just type and type. I want to “pimp my blog” but don’t quite know how or have the time to look and find out!

I love to read, catch up with friends, spend time with my family, my boys and write my blog. I also love to cook (and eat!) and want my boys to be able to cook too. I am really organized as well as completely disorganized and I blame that on the fact that I am a Gemini. Hey I’ve gotta blame something!

My main goals for this year are to finish our and de-clutter our house as it is the one thing that plays on my mind most of the time.

So that’s me!

Another Week That Was

I have neglected my blog this week as Hubby was home on his R&R and I get the guilt's if I am stuck on the computer too long.

We had a busy week this week and after my spat about living in the house that Jack built, hubby set to work getting things fixed as soon as he came home. The tap is still the wrong way but at least I can sit on the toilet without fear of falling off!!

Wednesday saw my hosting a small dinner party for my good friend B who was over from London visiting his friends and family. B & I went to school together here in Perth, and then later, in our 20's, house shared for 18 months with another friend Ho, in a place we liked to Club 180. Good times, many parties, lots of tears and funny funny moments. He was also MC at my wedding which I will cherish forever and it really was the funniest and heart felt speech I have ever heard, and Yay it was about me!!!

I really miss him when he is in London, especially as he refuses to go on Facebook. So it was great to see him and cook for him and hear all his news, good and bad. In fact writing this blog has made me sit and reminisce about Club 180 so will have to put that in a post for another day!!

Me & B Circa 1997

Wednesday also saw the start of poor Bugalugs struggle with constipation for the first time. Poor little fella. After prune juice and baby laxatives (who knew?) Thursday night I couldn't take any more of his screaming and ended up taking him to Emergency. Where of course he pooed while we were waiting! The good news was I was being a complete over paranoid Mother and the constipation was not diagnosed as severe (apparently he would be vomiting as well) but the bad news was he had got a small infection through straining and so a round of antibiotics were dispensed! Sigh.

Friday saw Bugalugs having some physio to speed up his development for rolling and sitting and Saturday night we had the night off and went to Mum's for my Step dad's Birthday dinner.

Sunday saw me hosting a lunch for friends with an international flavour. There are 3 couples and we each pick a country and cook two meals, a combination of entree, main & desert, and bring them along. Now I normally love to cook up a storm but I just couldn't get motivated. So I cheated. Gasp! My country was Sweden. So I went to Ikea. Swedish Ikea Meatballs and Swedish Apple cake for all. I got ribbed for it but figured that was my one pass out!

Grump Monday rolled around way too quickly and saw me (finally) get my Wii Fit out of the box and Hubby, Grotbag and I had a lot of fun before I cooked a yummy "last night" dinner for me and Hubby.

And then today Hubby was gone before I knew it and the long 2 week stretch starts again.

Still means I can at least get some blog time in the evenings! It's good to be back!

How has your week been?

The House That Jack Built.....

I have no idea where this saying comes from but I do feel sorry for Jack and all the crappy houses he has built!

My house is falling down.

Well that's a little bit dramatic. It's not literally falling down, more like coming a bit apart at the seams!

We live in a modest 4 bedroom 2 bathroom home that we bought 6 years ago just a few months before we were married. Before we acquired it, the house was an investment property and therefore had tenants. Tenants that did not look after the place very well. But the house was in a suburb we liked and was larger than the other more expensive houses we were looking at but needed a little TLC. How young and naive we were.

6 years later we have had a good stab at making it our own. We have completely ripped up the front and back gardens and replaced them, put in down lights, air conditioning, put up a wall in the playroom, painted a majority of the house, new flooring and window treatments. But it is still not finished and the parts that are not finished are REALLY getting me down.

This all happened yesterday...

The ceiling in my laundry has to be replaced because water has somehow got in and now my ceiling has mould. An insurance job, but it is the inconvenience that pees me off!

The new toilet seat just broke BECAUSE MY HUBBY NEVER PUT IT ON PROPERLY IN THE FIRST PLACE!

The towel rail in my bathroom just fell off.

The door handle to the playroom just came off in my hand.

Hubby replaced the tap in the kitchen incorrect so it swings the wrong way.

My tumble dryer is broke and will cost $200 to fix so am just going to get a new one next year as it's not worth fixing as the good weather is about to come in.

And that is just the start. There are a million other things but it will be too depressing to write them. And the kicker is me don't have the cash to do most of it at the moment.

I know that it does not sound like much, some of you may be doing major renovations and have whole pieces of your house missing. But it's all these little things that are making me want to scream, especially if they have been "fixed" and not "fixed" properly.

I just want my house how it looks in my minds eye. Is that too much to ask?

Sticking To My Guns & The Curse of The Wii

Can you tell I couldn't decide which title to go with?

Anyhoo....Today Bling and I went to our local Baby & Kids Market. Basically it comes around once every few months and the stalls are all second hand baby stuff, kids toys and clothes...there is always a bargain to be had!

I wasn't going to go because my parents are away and couldn't look after Grotbag and I would rather have the fleas of a thousand camels infest my armpits than take a 4 year old to a basketball court filled with second hand Fisher Price Toys!! But Bling's Hubby, who will join the cast and be known as Pirate, kindly offered to look after Grotbag....and could Grotbag bring Mario Kart with him! Hmmm, who is the biggest kid?

I was after a bath seat and Jolly Jumper for Bugalugs (and managed to score both at the Markets at rock bottom prices - yay for me!) so quickly agreed.

Grotbag loves playing the Wii, especially Mario Kart and for the most part will stop playing when I tell him to. I put a timer on as it is very easy for a couple of hours to go by and not realise he is still playing, so the timer keeps it in check. The same with the TV. Especially as he is nice and quiet and mummy can get on reading blogs and writing her own!!! .

However, today he just totally freaked out (The Curse of the Wii!!) when it was time to leave Pirates and had a complete meltdown. I get so disappointed when he act's up like that but can usually calm him down. Yeah, uh today he didn't get that memo!!! So put him in Time Out and then told him he could not play the Wii or watch any TV until his Dad (Hubby) comes home.

Then realised that was two days away! WHAT WAS I THINKING???? I usually only take the Wii or TV away for 24 hours which is usually enough to curb the behaviour and have him apologise and appreciate it more.

But there it was, out in the open and I now have to stick to my guns through fear of being a walk over. And I won't go back on my word either! I've learnt my lesson the hard way with that one!

I have to admit though, since he has been home he has played with his Lego, Tech Decks, race cars and a game of Mouse Trap so he is more than capable of playing with his toys with out the background noise of the TV.

So the Curse of the Wii strikes again but I will be sticking to my guns until Tuesday when Hubby flies home. I may be sooo over Playdoh and Guess Who by then but at least he would have learnt a lesson. Won't he?

Have you ever regretted a consequence for your kids? And did you follow it through?

One Of Those Days

As I am getting more into this blogging lark I am starting to plan my blogs in advance and draft a few lines for each topic so if I have had a few uneventful days I have backup. I am even sleeping with a notebook by the bed as I seem to have my best topic ideas just before I go to sleep - and then usually by morning they have flown away from my brain.

But today's planned blog will have to go on hold because this blog is a rant as I have had "one of those days!"

You know the kind where it starts out OK and gradually deteriorates until you feel your head just might explode.

It started fairly normally. The boys woke just after 7am and Grotbag didn't have school till 12.15am so there was no morning rush to get out the door. I went into Bugalug's who was smiling and then it sounded like he barked. Bugger! He has caught the cough that me and than Grotbag had the last couple of weeks. I thought he had escaped it because I had got it first and he didn't get it. I then got a little irritated as I realised that my futile attempts to keep Grotbag from coughing in Bugalug's face all last week indeed failed.

Mother 0 - Universe 1.

I checked behind the table to see if Jasper (Cocker Spaniel, 5 years old) had peed overnight in his favourite spot and smiled as I realised he hadn't.

Mother 1 - Universe 1.

Realised that I still haven't been able to find Grotbag's other Kindy T-shirt that has disappeared into thin air, and I hadn't washed the one from Tuesday. Pulled Tuesdays out the wash basket gave it a sniff and a shake - it was good to go!

M1 - U2

Bugalugs didn't want to have his morning nap so got NOTHING done apart from have a shower through screaming.

M1 - U3

Ended up feeding Bugalugs his bottle early to avoid the screaming that I just couldn't take today and he fell asleep on me meaning I still couldn't do anything.

M1 - U4

Took Grotbag to school and of course it was raining so we all got soaked.

M1 - U5

Got home and felt bad for the doggies (also have Chocolate Brown Labrador named Sye who is 5 years old - and my favourite!) so let them in to their inside beds. Had some lunch while and Bugalugs slept for an hour and a half. Bliss!

M2 - U5

Picked Grotbag up from school and promptly got stuck in bumper to bumper traffic for 20 minutes before having space to turn around and go the other way which was only marginally different.

M2 - U6

Took Grotbag to Tae Kwon Do where he cried all the way home because he didn't listen to me 3 times and I confiscated the Wii for the night. Then got home and put Grotbag in his PJ's so I wouldn't have to battle later. I had actually been organised and planned dinner earlier in the week so all I had to do is reheat only to put dinner on the table (where Grotbag was STILL crying) and realised that Jasper had peed under it when I had let him in earlier. GRRRRRRRRR

M2 - U7

Ate dinner with Bugalugs crying because he wanted his night time routine of bath, bottle & bed to begin NOW! Also had Grotbag sniffing beside me telling me my carrots were "disgusting".

M2 - U8

Finished dinner, reluctantly fed the dogs and got Bugalugs settled in for the night. I still haven't cleaned up the pee - just covered it with paper towel till I can face it. I still need to clean up after dinner, there is rice everywhere, make Bugalug's bottles for tomorrow and I can't see my counter top through all the crap that I have dumped on it. The dust bunnies are multiplying and Grotbag keeps wanting to make lots of noise RIGHT NEXT TO ME which is making me want to SCREAM VERY LOUDLY! I am changing my name to BOB as Muuummmm! is making my head spin. And to make matters worse Grotbag just came up to me and told me he loved me very much.

OK, I give up! Universe wins this round!!

Bringing Up Boys - Learning to Eat

So I have embarked on the world of ‘Solids’ for Bugalugs. Or in the immortal words of Kaz Cooke ‘Mashes”. Because the only thing solid is what comes out the other end!

Grotbag LOVED his mashes from the moment they past his lips and he hasn’t stopped eating since. He was a joy to cook for, even though he was lactose intolerant, and would scoff down anything I made for him.

“They” always say you get one of each so I think that Bugalugs will be my fussy eater. On the 9th of August he will be 6 months and for the past couple of weeks has been showing all of the signs of wanting more than just the bottle. So last week started him on one meal a day of rice cereal. He was a little perplexed but swallowed the first few mouthfuls. But lets face it - rice cereal is like eating torn up bits of cardboard. So he has been having pureed apple and pear the last few days. The more he eats the better he is - but not sure what he thinks of his mums cooking!!

I am trying not to take offence. I mean, pureed apple is pureed apple and can’t be tweaked for babies (IE add a bit of cinnamon perhaps!). Maybe he is a savoury kid and will prefer the pumpkin I prepare for him tomorrow!

I will persevere and hope he comes to love his mum’s food. I also forgot about all the 'stuff' that comes with solids. My dishes have multiplied now yet another boy in my house is eating semi-normal food!

Still, in a way I am quite proud as this is yet another milestone for my baby as he grows into a gorgeous little boy. Sigh!

The Toy Sales

Over the last month I have braved the big department store Toy Sales in an effort to look organised by Christmas. The lure of not having to have toys hanging around my already cluttered house is too much and on each of the occasions I have headed out early and got the booty on Christmas lay-by. This means currently I have 4 different laybys to keep track of.

I have also had my boys looked after as taking kids to a Toy Sale is surely every mothers idea of Hell. However today I had no such pleasure and had to take the boys with me. With a promise of a Ben 10 figurine for behaving, Grotbag begrudgingly got dressed and got in the car. And what a surprise....it was Hell!!

Grotbag constantly asking if he can have the toys now, and why does Santa have to have them (I have told him that when they go to Layby Santa comes and picks them up till Christmas!) and can we go now etc etc. HELL!!!

So by the time I had found all the things I wanted for the boys and other gifts for friends kids the last thing I wanted to do was stand in a layby queue. So I bought the lot and brought them home and stashed them at the top of the wardrobe where Grotbag will never find them.

Have told him that Santa has already taken them...there were tears.

Next year I am going on my own!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sleep School - Part 2

Well...my worst fears at sleep school were confirmed. Bugalugs is a completely normal baby! Sleeping...well..normally!

I arrived with trepidation at sleep school where I was greeted by the most lovely lady who was our "teacher"...lets call her B. She just oozed understanding, warmth and support. I heaved a sigh of relief. No Matron here!

There were supposed to be 10 in the class but only 3 other mums arrived so we were just a small class of 4.

I won't bore you with the whole 2 1/2 hour class but my heart skipped a beat when B gave an anecdote about a father who had come to her worried because his baby slept all through the night but only did 45 minute naps during the day.

GULP! I am sure I went bright red!!

The 3 other poor mums had not had a full nights sleep since their bubs had been born. 2 suffered from severe reflux and B just so happened to be an expert in this field and they hung on every grateful word. The other mum had done some 'accidental' parenting which B gave her and action plan start that very night. She was excited.

And then they came to me, and God love them after I told them about my Bugalugs looking at the floor and told them sorry that I felt really guilty, they were all lovely and said it's different for everyone blah blah but not a Paris Hilton among them!

I am a big believer in fate and everything happening for a reason. And after today I realised that I went to the class for a much bigger 'universe' type reason. My cousin Bling's baby suffers from severe reflux and so I too took many notes and B has said that Bling can call her and see her privately. I also have a really good doctor and after hearing one of the mums appalling story about her GP referred mine to her and know she will get good service.

I had attended a Paediatric Physio class I was referred to as Bugalugs has a rather large head which he was having trouble lifting. Once B knew this she asked me to show some of the tummy time techniques to another mum who was having tummy time trouble. I also got some great advice from the mums, whose babies were older than Bugalugs about food and nutrition.

Now although none of us really need to attend next week, we are all going to go for the hour, have coffee and share our week with our babies. They are 3 wonderful mums who are really doing it much tougher than I am and so I have learned more in 2 1/2 hours than I could have from any book, plus had a bit of a reality check which I think we all need sometimes.

I am looking forward to next week and catching up with the mums, and hope the Universe shines a good week on all of them because they deserve it!

Sleep School - Part 1

Tomorrow I am off to "Sleep School" to sort out Bugalugs day time sleeps. Well, it's not really sleep school but a programme run by my local Community Child Health Centre called Sleepworks and is for parents whose babies (from 6 months to 3 1/2 years) are having trouble sleeping. They also run a programme called Hush Baby for babies 6 months and under.


But it is going to feel like going to school for me!

I am really nervous. In fact I am actually scared I am going to be overly defensive about the apparent "accidental parenting" of my child. What if I tell them what I am doing and they say (in some matronly voice):


"tutt tutt, well love that's your problem you shouldn't have (insert bad parenting here!)".
or
"so this is your second child is it???"


Or what if my problem sleeper isn't a problem sleeper at all, especially because I am attending due to his day time sleeps. And the other 7 mothers there, who havn't had a good night sleep in months look at me like I am a traitor and say (insert Paris Hilton type voice)


"O.M.G. he is soooooo NOT a problem sleeper. MY baby does (insert worse problem than mine!)"


I don't know why I imagine a Matron & Paris Hilton are going to be there but anywhoo....


I am also worried that what they tell me to do won't work or they want me to do something ludicrous to fix it. That's positive thinking I hear you say!


In a nutshell, I guess, I don't want to be judged for the type of parent that I am. None of us like to think we are doing a bad job in the Mothering department. And to tell you the truth I think that I do a pretty good job 99% of the time. Its just that darn 1%!


So as much as I am anticipating tomorrow to sort out the problem I am also dreading it too.



I will grab my pen and paper and hope it is much better than I am creating in my mind... and Paris Hilton isn't there!)



I wonder if they can do anything about Hubby's snoring........

Bugalugs 1 day old!

The Weight Debate

I am currently attending Weight Watchers Meetings. Yes, hello, my name is Amanda and I have an eating problem. Well it's not a problem as much as a niggle (or jiggle) in my side.

I have never been ultra slim although looking back at photo's of me when I was at school I was pretty average and would be happy to be that average again. My weight started creeping on after I left school. I blame this on not riding my bike once I got my licence and having a disposable income to spend on takeaway. In my early 20's I realised that my height (158cm) was not conducive to my weight so I joined Weight Watchers and lost 5kg which was great and I felt fantastic, fitted into my old clothes etc.

At 23 I moved out of home and slowly it all started to creep on again, went to the UK a couple of times and added some Heathrow kilo's and so on and so on.

6 months before I got married I joined a gym, went everyday and lost a bit of weight but the change was mostly inches and toning of my muscles which I liked. A few months after I was married I fell pregnant with Grotbag and it's all been going down hill ever since.

After Grotbag I gave myself some leave and then we started trying for another baby so naturally my attitude was "well what's the point I will be preggers soon" and low and behold 18 months after Grotbag I did fall pregnant but unfortunately miscarried. The messing with hormones, the unhappiness of it all plus still wanting to fall pregnant again made weight loss a very low priority. 9 months later I fell pregnant but again miscarried. It was all too much, but I suddenly realised I needed a new focus as the baby making was all consuming.

So again I joined Weight Watchers along with Bling (my cousin, who is more like a sister and will make many an appearance in my blogs. So called as she likes a bit of Bling!). I lost 9kg just in time for my work Christmas party and felt fantastic. Then Hubby and I were told that to have another baby we would need IVF. I will probably talk about this in detail another blog but needless to say it involved lots of emotions, lots of drugs and lots of luck. And lucky we were. First time lucky and 9 months later Bugalugs entered this world! Through my pregnancy I got gestational diabetes and also had a hemorrhage which meant I couldn't do anything that raised my heartbeat which meant no exercise or even walking too far.

And so here I am again, carrying baby weight, emotional weight and the occasional Hungry Jacks weight. It's coming off. A lot slower this time and fluctuates depending on the time of the month but I have managed to shed to date 3.1kg (6.8 pounds) and feel much better for it too. I know I have to lose the weight. Having gestational diabetes means I am 50% more likely to get Type 2 diabetes when I am older and this is something that I really want to avoid. I have no more excuses, no more babies on the way and I need to be fit to keep up with my two growing boys, and I want to be a good example for them.

Some days are harder than others. I love food and love cooking so it's all about balance. But I will get there...because at the end of the day I have no alternative!

Grumpy Monday

Yesterday was Grumpy Monday.

After my blog last week about Happy Monday I got thinking more and more about Grumpy Monday so when it came I was ready for it.

Yesterday was Grumpy Monday in the trio of Monday's because Hubby flies back early hours of Tuesday morning for work which means Monday is his last day home. I am Grumpy because I will be the only parent again for 2 weeks, Grotbag is Grumpy because I will be the only parent again for 2 weeks and Hubby is Grumpy because he has to go back to work. Usually we will be snappy at each other all day (this is sometimes and understatement!). The day is spent either not doing much or Hubby doing all the things I asked him to do at the beginning of his week home that he has left to the last minute and therefore making me even more Grumpy.

However, yesterday I was determined not to be Grumpy and we planned a day home as we had been busy everyday. We had lots of washing as we had been so busy so set about that being our only tasks. I really wanted to clean out my pantry as it had got into such a mess and I didn't know what was in there and things were balancing threatening to spill contents all over the floor every time I opened the door. So I made that my project of the day. Grotbag was happy to be parented by the new Plasma and Disney Channel which made things easier and I put the slow cooker on so dinner wouldn't be a hassle. And low and behold Grumpy Monday became bearable Monday. I was happy to have achieved the pantry which took me 4 hours!!! Hubby was happy I was happy and he got to spend time with Grotbag, Bugalugs and the Plasma. And not a cross word was had between us!

We got to spend a few hours alone together once the kids had gone to bed and chat and talk about the week and the next time he was back. We actually agreed that the week had gone quickly but had been great and we had achieved a lot!

I have no doubt that Grumpy Monday will rear its ugly head again, but having recognised it and been open to changing it Grumpy Monday might turn into I'm-going-to-miss-you Monday instead!

Below before and after pictures of my Pantry.

Before

After

A Heavy Bag

Today, Hubby & I met 2 other couples for lunch at Feral Brewery in the Swan Valley. I love the fact that even though it is Winter in Perth the place was busy with people enjoying good food and drink even if it meant co-ordinating a scarf with your outfit. This was one of a few meals out we have been too while Hubby has been home.

The difference between our table and the majority of the other tables today were the addition of kids. Small kids. Three 4 year olds & two babies (and one on the way which doesn't count as they brought their own seat)! A few years ago Before Kids (BK) lunch with friends just meant an impromptu phone call, picking a nice outfit, jumping in the car and spending a leisurely afternoon (and possibly evening) chatting, drinking and eating.

Oh how times have changed.

First you have to organise a date and make sure everyone is free. Especially for us seeing as my Hubby's job involves him flying in and out. So the date is usually set months in advance. God help me if it has to be changed!!

Gone are the days of spending an hour getting ready! I'm lucky if I manage to have a shower without an audience and its long enough to wash my hair (drying it may be optional!). There are 2 other people to get ready, well, 3 if you include Hubby. But luckily, although he can dress himself.

Then there is "The Bag" to pack! "The Bag" has to consist of everything you 'might' need while on the outing. Basics includes, nappies & bottles and other baby stuff for Bugalugs plus a plethora of entertainment items for Grotbag to keep him occupied. Because inevitably if you are at a kid friendly restaurant the kids will be fed first leaving them to be completely bored by the time you receive your meal. Colouring books, ipods and handheld game consoles have become life savers in these times of need. I can never leave Hubby to pack the bag as something is always left out and I end up having to fold origami style nappies out of paper towels!

Once at the restaurant there is a shuffle of seating arrangement to accommodate prams, men and women and kids in between. Hubby hates to be seated in the wrong position making him privy to menstrual cycles, birthing stories, the latest on Masterchef and other such girly topics. Gone are the days of political banter and mixed sex conversations. Time is of the essence and plus, colouring in while talking about Kevin Rudd can be a bit distracting. There is never all the adults at the table at the one time. They are either off supervising the kids on playground equipment or seeing to the younger set of babies.

Food turns up and you eat it as quickly as possible so that you can take the baby off your partner so he can eat his dinner which is getting colder by the minute. Meanwhile ice cream turns up for the kids so you know that the meal is nearly over before you have even looked at your desert menu. Then you look at the time and realise the dreaded 'witching' hour is close at hand and the kids heads are going to start spinning round exorcist style spewing phrases like "I'm tired", "can we go home now", "I don't want to go home" etc etc.

So you say your goodbyes, and say that "you must simply do this more often, why do we leave it so long". Talk about how you should all "go away one weekend with the kids" all while trying to get your kids to say goodbye nicely and not run in front of cars in the car park!

The thing is, I love meeting my friends for lunch out and about with the kids. We all have a great time despite and because of all the things above. Going out for a meal may not be the same as a few short years ago, but I would rather go out and have to be a bit more organised than not go!

How lucky am I that I have the opportunity to go and have lunch with friends? Having to do it differently is not better or worse than before kids, it just takes more organisation and more stuff.

In other words. Your bag just gets heavier!!

The Cast

Not sure if I will get a chance to blog tonight as we are going out for dinner with friends, so thought I would take the chance to blog now while Hubby sleeps off his night shift and the baby has a nap...I say nap because he only sleeps 40 mins at a time during the day, hence why I always blog late at night!

After reading many a blog this last week since starting my own after being inspired by a friend of mine (thanks MJ!) I realised that bloggers don't use peoples names and instead use an alias. I love the idea of this and actually don't like writing Master 4 or Baby because at some point Master 4 will become Master 5 and the Baby will no longer be a baby. So have decided to give my cast of characters (of which they truly are) an alias!

My Husband will simply still be known as Hubby. I was thinking all night of what to call him (believe me many names came to mind all suitable but not necessarily to be shared!!) and realised that Hubby how I have him listed in my mobile and plus its easy to type. A bit about Hubby... He will be turning 40 next year (2010), is very laid back especially compared to my mania and a great dad. He loves fishing, watching Sky News and Green Day etc type music. Bit different from when I met him 7 years ago and all he had were Ministry of Sound Cd's!!! He loves everything I cook him and is a great guinea pig for new recipes (even the dodgy ones!). He loves simple pleasures in life and if he had his way we would be living the Busselton Lifestyle now...not in 20 years time!!!

Master 4 will be known in future blogs as Grotbag. I say this lovingly of course, just imagine me ruffling his hair as I say it to him. Grotbag suits as he is turning into such a 'boy'! I shouldn't be surprised seeing as he is a boy, but until this year when he started Kindy I had never seen him be so boisterous and pretending to be an alien etc etc. Plus he has started picking his nose and showing me the spoils of his labour...see...Grotbag!! A little bit about Grotbag...He is 4 years old going on 15. He already has an insatiable appetite and I run out of things to give him to eat daily. His mantra is "I'm Hungry" so I have to take an abundance of food with me wherever I go! He is, as my Mum will tell anyone who will listen, just like me! Poor sod! We are both hot headed, passionate, stubborn, messy but strangely organised in our own way. We both hate clowns. I know the teenage years are going to be Hell and we will clash terribly but I am ready for it! He is however loving, generous, has a great imagination, makes me laugh every day (and sometimes cry!!) and has a spirit in him I will be forever proud of. He also wants to be a policeman and copies his dads Coventry accent only on the week he is home!

The Baby in all future blogs will be known as Bugalugs. Grotbag found Hubby calling the baby Bugalugs (in a English Coventry accent, as in Boogaloogs) and has copied it every since and it makes Bugalugs giggle. A little bit about Bugalugs....at the moment he is 4 & 1/2 months old. Only naps during the day but sleeps 12 hours at night...hey we can't have everything! He is pretty content most of the time but jeez when he cries its like the whole world has come to an end. He screams until his need is met so keeps me on my toes! I am not as strict routine wise as I was with Grotbag as it is impossible so I just do what I can to make our families life easier. He is my little IVF miracle and like clockwork has just woken up so am now typing this with one hand.

So there is the main cast of my life. Others I am sure will make the regular cast, guest appearances, and there may be a few that get special guest star billing and I will give all of them their character alias' when they make their debuts! Right, gotta go before Bugalugs wakes Hubby up with his screams of attention!!

Happy Monday & The 4 o'clock Train

Monday in our house always proves to be a busy day but we have 3 different Mondays in our house. Happy Monday, Middle Monday & Grumpy Monday. But this Monday, today, marks the end of my 2 week's of "doing it all by myself". My Hubby arrives back tomorrow after working his roster of 2 weeks away, and 1 week home. So this makes it HAPPY MONDAY. My spirit's are high knowing that he is home tomorrow and I will have a week with an extra pair of hands for the kids, maybe a couple of lay in's in the mornings, be able to just jump in the car myself to quickly go somewhere, a girls night out, adult conversation and of course someone sleeping/snoring beside me at night. Master 4 goes to bed excited on Happy Monday knowing his dad will be picking him up from school tomorrow instead of boring old mum. And Hubby chats animatedly on the last phone call before he is home about the weeks events. Ah, the weeks events. We are always incredibly busy the week my hubby is home as we try and cram as much into it as possible.



By the time Happy Monday comes around I am usually burnt out from being the only parent for 2 weeks. However, it is still a Monday which means the following usually occurs. And did occur today. I always try and arrange for Master 4 to get out the house on a Monday Morning to burn off some Happy Monday energy. I usually end up at an indoor play venue, a friends house or a park and usually invite a friend with kids to join us. This also gives me a chance to catch up with a friend and have a chat while Master 4 is happy playing. Today we met a friend and her children at a local park. It was freezing but we all rugged up and the kids had a ball. I then made a trip to the local fruit and veggie market to stock up for my hubby's arrival, making a mental note of the meals I would be cooking this week. Cooking is the only thing I do not get a reprieve from. My choice. We then came home and I proceeded to tidy the mess that was our weekend and do some washing. I am not much of a cleaner. I hate it. But that rant is for another blog, another day!!



Then came, what I call, the 4 o'clock train. I don't like missing the 4 o'clock train or it can throw the whole night out!! 4 o'clock is when I start to prepare dinner. Master 4 is usually playing in the playroom while the baby is happily watching him or in his bouncer chair. Between 5 & 5.30pm we eat and about 6.15pm the boys have a bath. My baby boy is given his last bottle while Master 4 finishes his bath. By 7pm the baby is in bed (the 7 o'clock train is another one I don't like to miss!) and Master 4 is either watching his own show on Disney channel or watching Masterchef with me. 8pm Master 4 is usually in bed and I clean up all the dinner stuff, wash and prepare bottles for the morning, and because it is a Monday prepare Master 4's lunch for Kindy tomorrow, lay out his clothes for the morning to make things run smoother and then jump on the computer. The 4 o'clock train comes every night. Those that know me well, they know not to call between 4pm & 8pm for fear of derailing that train.



So here I am again on Happy Monday. I caught the train, completed my journey and here I sit preparing for another huge week. I can almost envision what my blogs will read like as I look at the calendar that's filled with stuff we are doing. I take a deep breath and look forward to tomorrow when I can pick my hubby up from the airport and we are again a normal family of 4 for another week!

Birthday's & Miracles

Well today is my birthday. I turned 36. Sigh! Where have all the years gone! I was 15 when my own mum was 36 and then I thought she was ancient. Do 15 year old's now think I am ancient? Today I am also closer to being 40 than I am to being 30. Yikes!

A month before I turned 30 I started getting heart palpitations. I was also planning our wedding and looking for a new house, which I had completely under control. I went to the doctors as I would wake in the middle of the night my heart pounding in my chest. He has been my family doctor since I was 12 so knew me quite well. He asked if I was suffering any stress and I told him about the wedding and the house hunting. He looked at my birth date and said "see you have a birthday coming up, and you are going to be 30". I must have gone white because he just smiled and said, "come back after your birthday, if you are still having them we will do some tests...I just think your worried about turning 30." And indeed I was and funnily enough, after my birthday they disappeared. Imagine how I am going to be a month before I am 40!!!

It's funny when you have little kids and it's your birthday. Master 4 was so excited and helped me open all my presents (read HE opened them all while I ooh and ahh'd over their contents). I baked my own 97% fat free chocolate birthday cake of which Master 4 blew out the candle first, helped me cut the first piece of which he also had. And not want attention to deviate too far from him was pretty much centre of attention most of the day. Being an only child, you would think that this is hard for me but actually, I think it is kinda cute and love 'sharing' my special day with my special boy.

Today was spent how birthday's should be spent...with friends and family. Had a beautiful breakfast with some girlfriends where we gossiped and laughed and lamented how it was all very SATC. In the afternoon I went to my mums with the family where she made enough food to feed a third world country. We all went home comfortably full and all with doggy bags!! I looked around the room at one point while having my baby boy in my arms and saw Master 4 playing junior scrabble with his Great Grandparents, my cousin's hubby was watching the footy, other family members were milling around the kitchen snacking on yummy food, while mum busied herself with making sure everyone had enough to eat, my younger cousin Miss 14 was texting on her mobile & my other cousin, who is like a sister, had her baby boy, only 5 weeks younger than mine, in her arms chatting away. It was a beautiful scene and I feel incredibly lucky to have the wonderful family that I have. It was the perfect birthday present. The only thing that could have made it completely perfect would have been my hubby who, because of his job, misses a lot of these occasions which is sad, but a consequence of the life we have chosen!

And finally, today is not just my birthday. On this very day last year, on the 21st June 2008, my gorgeous little 4 month old baby boy, who at the time was just a small fertilised egg, was, by the wonder that is IVF placed back from where he was taken. Inside my womb. To miraculously grow into the beautiful little 4 month old I held in my arms today. He is and forever will be, the BEST birthday present I have ever received and I am truly honoured to share this special day every year with him. Thank you for being so strong, holding on and bringing me and your daddy so much joy. I love you little guy!!