Comments on Life

Favourite Kids Books

2010-04-24T08:19:00.003+10:00

Just thought I'd do a quick post (since I never do any!!) and share what our kids favourite books are at the moment.

Jackson is a huge fan of simple board books. His all-time-smile-guaranteed favourite is What Do You Say? which is a book I bought from Sonlight.com last year when they were having a sale on some items for under 3s. Very simple mostly animal noises. And even Shelby likes to read it coz of the cute "punch-line".

And Shelby has many favourites. But The Faraway Tree collection has been a breakfast, lunch and dinner-time book lately. (What I mean by that is whenever Shelby can pin Matt or I down she begs for another chapter or two!) We are 1/2 way through the 3rd book and she is loving it. She has also been really enjoying hearing all the books included in the P3/4 Core from Sonlight.com.

What books are your kids enjoying at the moment? Or if you don't have kids what were your favourites as a child?

Advent 2009

2009-11-26T20:59:00.004+11:00

I'm slowly getting over my feeling of being totally under-prepared for Christmas and starting to instead get excited! It's fun having a 3 yo in the house who has a better understanding of what Christmas entails! :-) So, with this next Sunday marking the first Sunday of Advent I've started to think about what we'll do to celebrate and count-down the days until Christmas. I have just printed off the readings we used last year to put in our new-to-us Advent hanging along with a chocolate and also we'll be making a Christmas Booklet with these colouring in pages that illustrate the Christmas story so nicely (well actually a few are a bit goofy but the idea is great).

I'm also excited to try out some new Christmasy cookie recipes I downloaded from SavingDinner.com and picked up the ingredients for today. Next Tuesday we'll set up the Christmas tree and other decorations, dig out the Christmas DVDs & CDs. I'm also going to give the Christmas Dinner for the Freezer meal plan a go to save time and sanity on Christmas Day for our meal since we're staying here this year and will be celebrating with just our little family.

What are you all doing in the next month as you seek to enjoy the season and focus on the reason for the season?

Daybook

2009-10-15T19:57:00.007+11:00

Outside my window... it's dark and I can see the lights of other units. If I look closely I might see a man on his balcony doing Tai-Chi.

I am thinking... The Water Is Wide is a beautiful tune.

I am thankful for... good food, a snug home, and a wonderful family.

From the kitchen... we had a really nice warm cous-cous salad with thai marinated tofu and veggies for dinner. YUM!

I am wearing... my one and only maxi dress, favourite matching glass blown and hand-painted earrings with ugg boots and a grey jumper over the top...VERY classy. ;-)

I am reading... nothing! I finished off In Defense of Food, A Charlotte Mason Companion and Baby-Led Weaning: Helping your Baby to Love Good Food in the past week and haven't actually picked any other books up yet. Still listening to the audio book Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen though which is good! The other books pictured in my last post are books Matt & I are reading together so whilst I am TECHNICALLY reading them I'm not personally reading them by myself. :)

I am hoping... that tomorrow will hold some fruitful and helpful conversations.

I am creating... a cross-stitch bookmark of a kangaroo. I've been working on it so long that I want to finish it and start a handmade miniature quilt.

I am praying... for peace and clarity about decisions that we are making.

Around the house... Matt's taken Jackson for a walk and Shelby's going to sleep whilst dishes langour in the sink and washing waits to be folded.

One of my favorite things... is our little suburb and the many people that make up this little corner of the world.

A few plans for the rest of the week... breakfast out, mum's group at church, friends over for breakfast on Saturday morning.

A picture thought I'm sharing with you... (two for the price of one actually!) Shelby and her assorted "bed companions"....

Books, Books, Books

2009-10-12T17:37:00.002+11:00

The book to read is not the one which thinks for you,
but the one which makes you think.
~ Mccosh ~

Come home, Quark!

2009-10-07T15:56:00.006+11:00

I just got off the phone with the Lost and Found section of the Powerhouse Museum. It appears that we have a missing person...a little over 10 years ago I bought for a mere $2 a cute little dog...he sat on my bed with Bromley for a couple of years and then when Matt & I met he discovered a voice. A cute squeaky little voice. He balanced out the very rude and obnoxious Bromley bear as a very ditzy-headed (no offense, Quark!) and innocent character. However, it seems that Quark has decided to go off on an adventure all by himself. Perhaps it was the exciting Space section of the Powerhouse Museum that ignited a desire to see the world. If anyone sees a little black and white dog in any NASA footage please tell him his family misses him sorely but hopes he has a wonderful adventure.

Little Luxuries

2009-09-28T21:00:00.002+10:00

Tonight I sat and watched my 3 year old fall asleep. It's one of those little luxuries a parent can indulge in sometimes. Usually when it's bedtime that means one of two things either 1) Yay, computer time! or 2) Clean up the house time. Tonight I chose neither. Shelby asked me to play with her hair so I did and it was precious to watch her body relax, her eyes close and her body surrender to the much needed sleep. There is something relaxing about watching someone else fully relax like that. Sounds weird but trust me if you're a parent or ever become one you'll know what I mean. :) These are what memories are made of.

Sunday, August 9, 2009

2009-08-09T16:00:00.003+10:00

Outside my window... I can see blue sky with that beautiful cotton candy white clouds over the top of rooftops.

I am thinking... it's harder to parent 2 kiddos when alone...I'm outnumbered! :-)

I am thankful for... a patient and caring hubby who listens, supports and even sometimes rebukes me when I'm feeling overwhelmed before sending me off for a coffee and book-reading time while taking over kid-wrangling for an hour or so.

From the kitchen... I am hoping to make Heinz' Thai Soup in a Packet soon!

I am wearing... J in the Hug-a-Bub. He's very peaceful and snuggly!

I am reading... Glenbrooke Series by Robin Jones Gunn, Mommy Teach Me to Read by Barbara Curtis

I am hoping... to find creative ways to store things or be brave enough to declutter....

I am creating... an action plan (in my head) about how to handle a full week with Matt overseas soon....

I am praying... for patience, wisdom and most of all lots of love.

Around the house... Shelby's watching Songs to Make You Smile and I'm enjoying some quiet time until it's time to leave for church.

One of my favorite things... Gloria Jeans' Caramelatte with a drizzle of caramel syrup on top. :)

A few plans for the rest of the week... hopefully it will be relatively quiet with maybe a trip to visit Matt for lunch.

A picture thought I'm sharing with you... waiting patiently for the long anticipated birthday Play School Concert to start!

Simple Woman's Daybook

2009-07-15T21:25:00.008+10:00

I have noticed several of my favourite bloggers doing this lately and thought it was a fun, simple way to put up a blog-post which takes a snap-shot of life as it is at this moment in time. For other "daybooks" visit Peggy.

Outside my window... darkened and quieter streets.

I am thinking... that I'm feeling a bit chilly and want to go curl up in bed with a book soon.

I am thankful for... the wonderful time making memories we have had with Matt's mum

From the kitchen... I have finally learned how to make a lovely meal of Corned Beef with white sauce!!

I am wearing... new shoes!!

I am reading... Mission of Motherhood by Joy Clarkson, A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton

I am hoping... that Jackson doesn't refuse to breastfeed for 6 hours again. It's much too stressful when it's his sole form of nourishment!

I am creating... memories!

I am praying... that Shelby (and I) copes with Nanna's departure on Sunday okay. She has already expressed to me that it's sad that Nanna has to go so I can only imagine what it will be like on Sunday.

Around the house... things are messier than I like but I'm learning to let things slide a bit more during this early baby stage.

One of my favorite things... is seeing Matt with Jackson asleep in the pouch sling.

A few plans for the rest of the week... dinner out at a friends place, a trip to the city, saying good-bye to Nanna at the airport and maybe (?) a trip to the State Library for a pre-schooler author reading.

8 weeks

2009-06-28T21:34:00.007+10:00

8 weeks ago on the 6th of May a new little man joined our family. Jackson Lee was born at 6:20am and weighed in at 3.4kg and was 53cm long. He has been a very welcome addition to our family. As many of you know and will hopefully understand the subsequent weeks have been a little crazy with Nanna from America visiting, sleep deprivation and a 2 week trip to far north Queensland for my sister's wedding, so that is why I haven't updated the blog until now!

Darn Hormones!

2009-04-03T20:17:00.002+11:00

Choices Surrounding Birth

2009-03-17T15:24:00.003+11:00

A woman who simply accepts the standard care in this set of issues {issues related to birth}, and many more, may find that she has, in reality, no choice. She gets swept up on a production line conveyor belt. Read more over at villagemidwife...

So many things we presume are "have tos" surrounding birth aren't. Joy has just written a fabulous little piece on choice surrounding birth on her blog "villagemidwife". I love reading her thoughts and have linked to her before if you thought this might be de-ja-vu. :) Worth the read. I am definitely someone who questions the status quo...not always very outspoken about it but when I'm dealing with my body and the way that birth can affect so much surrounding the early bonding, breastfeeding and health of my newborn child I am more likely to speak up when dealing with the midwives and doctors. I'm not going to share all the things I've done or not done but if you're interested and want to ask I'll answer.

Confectionary Free Checkouts

2009-02-06T06:01:00.003+11:00

Disclaimer: I am more bemused than annoyed about this incident and had fun sharing the story with Matt last night to which he responded, "You are going to blog about this aren't you?" So,with that encouragment ringing in my ears, here I am.

Once upon a time....as I was checking out of Woolworths yesterday, I found myself at the confectionary free checkout due to the fact that it had the shortest wait. However, as I was placing items on the belt to checkout, Shelby asked me if she could have a lolly. To which I responded "No, not today you've already had a chocolate this afternoon." (Don't get me started on people giving out free chocolates and lollies to any and every kid without checking with the parents BEFORE holding out said sweet to the child.) She asked once more and I responded the same way and that was that. However, that's when I noticed the little flag above my head stating: "Confectionary Free Checkout"....I immediately felt put-out that I'd even had that conversation with my 2 year old when those 2 boxes of easter eggs clearly should not even be there!

I have noticed these boxes on this checkout once before and thought of complaining but didn't. This time I felt put-out enough to do something. So I turned to the checkout guy who was calmly scanning all my items and asked if he knew who I should complain to about the fact that there were two boxes of easter eggs on what is clearly labelled a "Confectionary Free Checkout". He didn't understand English very well and thought I was asking for the price. Thankfully the lady on the checkout next to him heard me and said that she'd had the same thought and even complained about it to someone a week ago. She kindly hit the call-bell and the supervisor came over to talk to me.

I explained the situation and asked "Why is their confectionary on what is supposed to be a confectionary free checkout?" To which she responds, "Oh that just means that you won't find one of these." And points to the rack of lollies and chewing gum next to the checkout just over from where I was.

WHAT? I was confused. I understood in theory but at the same time if I take this sign at face value and knowing the whole point of starting these types of checkouts in the first place I should NOT find any confectionary at this checkout even 2 small boxes of easter eggs. Right??

Which is what I said to the supervisor. She immediately gets that look...you know the one that communicates that she's not impressed that I've stuck to my guns but "okay, the customer is always right" and so she moves the boxes over to the next checkout which does have a confectionary stand.

By this stage I'm embaressed as the discussion has drawn a few stares and I'm happy to just checkout and get out.

However, to add insult to injury. A few moments later the supervisor is back and has one of the innoccent easter eggs in her hand which she holds out to me and says, "Here. Would your daughter like this?"

I felt confused...did this woman not understand that I had just complained about there being lollies on display at a confectionary free checkout?? Of course I didn't want my daughter to have a chocolate. I'd already said no to her request and not for pricing reasons so why would I let her have one anyway? I tried to decline without being too "annoyed-customer-like" but I'm not sure if I succeeded or not....

What would you have done if offered the easter egg in exchange for complaining about it's presence?

Good Post from an Older Mum Who's Been There Done That

2009-01-15T17:02:00.002+11:00

Just wanted to share a post by Joy Clarkson. It's a long and a bit rambly post but it's was encouraging to me and thought it might encourage the other mum's out there.

My real desire in writing this article, though, is to give moms permission to be themselves. There is no "one right way". Each of you has a different puzzle to solve--different children's personalities, husbands and even a different personality yourself. Some of you are introverts and some extroverts. But the bottom line is, that as a wise woman, you need to figure out how you can best make it in the long run--loving God and loving your family.

--Read the Rest of the Blog-post here.

Lego Lovers Unite

2009-01-11T14:16:00.002+11:00

As a non-lego lover I am seriously impressed at the devotion of some fans....This page will give you the instruction booklet for pretty much every lego set ever released. If there's someone out there with a lego fanatic in their family they may like to share. :) For me I'm going to forward it to my little brothers and Matt's married brother who still asks for Lego sets at Christmas time.

Christian-Flavoured Resolutions

2009-01-04T21:22:00.004+11:00

First off...Happy (Belated) New Year!

I've decided NOT to do any "Christian-Flavoured Resolutions" as such this year but I have been contemplating my lack of Bible Reading Plan. I want to have something that I'm working on because as I've found in the past few years if you aim at nothing you always hit nothing. So, I looked over the Bible Reading in One Year plans and even printed one out and started it but considering that I didn't do this until Jan 2 I was already a day behind and just knew that it was inevitably not going to happen anyway. To be brutally honest One Year Bible Reading Plans and I don't really mix. My experience is more like this woman.

March 3rd. I look at my checkered plan sheet with smudges and erasures. It isn’t working. I am doomed. A failing immature rat of a Christian. Barely two months and I am ruined. I quit.

And besides I have a newborn on the way which is going to throw all sense of order out the window for at least a few weeks...if not months. So, I'd like a NON-dated Bible Reading Plan but honestly they're few and far between. But as the woman previously linked to described her "Bible Reading Plan for Shirkers & Slackers" I felt like I'd found the plan for me. And so, without so much as a blink I hit the Print button and I've got my "plan" and I won't feel that sinking feeling of being 6 days behind on the dated plan because I can pick up any day of the week and read from where I last was without so much as a twinge of guilt!! YAY! So, if anyone is looking for a Through the Bible Reading plan but doesn't think they can keep up with the dated plan then this is it. You'll find the plan on pages 5 & 6 of this pdf document.

P.S. If you stumble upon this blog-post in 6 months time you can even start it then...it's NOT reliant on you starting it on the 1st of January because it follows the Days of the Week and they roll around every 7 days! :)

Introducing Baby #2

2008-12-18T16:32:00.002+11:00

We had our 19 week (almost 20 week) ultrasound this morning. As long as the tech isn't lying to me everything is fine, but I'll see my midwife tomorrow and get that confirmed then. Very active baby! At one stage he/she did a massive flip over and gave the tech a challenge working out which side she was up to measuring. :) And the pregnancy is going fine. I'm feeling the same pain in my hips that I had with Shelby but it eases and feels much better when/if I keep up with my Yoga stretches and stuff so I just need to keep that up. Otherwise I'm feeling energetic (to a point) and well! (And hungry!)

Anyway, enough with the jibbering and on with the photos:

Okay so we'll start with the classic U/S pose:

Then we have the "godzilla" pose as Baby yawns. :)

Then we move into the fun 3D photos that we got too as a bonus. The 3D wand is new at the hospital so the tech isn't super experienced but it is amazing to see since it makes the baby seem so REAL! :)

All snuggled up to the placenta which is low but posterior and clear of the os (yay!) and explains why baby loves to hang out so low down in my pelvis!

"Can I just be left alone now!?!"

Advent 2008

2008-11-29T16:43:00.006+11:00

Tomorrow marks the first Sunday in Advent! Which means only 25 more sleeps til Christmas Day!

In anticipation of Advent I dusted off the Advent Wreath I made last year. Made up a paper chain which has the days Bible reading for each day of Advent on the paper rings. Each evening or afternoon we'll light the appropriate number of candles and read the passages of Scripture for that day. (I printed the readings onto the paper using the pdfs found at this site.)

Is anyone else celebrating Advent? What will you be doing?

Blog Link

2008-11-08T13:42:00.003+11:00

I promise I'll actually do some blogging myself sometime in the near future. In the meantime....check out this beautifully written blog-post by a mother expressing her feelings and musings on giving birth to her daughter with Down Syndrome.

Who are you?

2008-11-04T09:26:00.002+11:00

My Results for the Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz...

You Are a Grace!

You are a Grace -- "I need to understand the world."

Graces have a need for knowledge and are introverted, curious, analytical, and insightful.

How to Get Along with Me

Be independent, not clingy
Speak in a straightforward and brief manner
I need time alone to process my feelings and thoughts
Remember that If I seem aloof, distant, or arrogant, it may be that I am feeling uncomfortable
Make me feel welcome, but not too intensely, or I might doubt your sincerity
If I become irritated when I have to repeat things, it may be because it was such an effort to get my thoughts out in the first place
Don't come on like a bulldozer
Help me to avoid my pet peeves: big parties, other people's loud music, overdone emotions, and intrusions on my privacy

What I Like About Being a Grace

Standing back and viewing life objectively
Coming to a thorough understanding; perceiving causes and effects
My sense of integrity: doing what I think is right and not being influenced by social pressure
Not being caught up in material possessions and status
Being calm in a crisis

What's Hard About Being a Grace

Being slow to put my knowledge and insights out in the world
Feeling bad when I act defensive or like a know-it-all
Being pressured to be with people when I don't want to be
Watching others with better social skills, but less intelligence or technical skill, do better professionally

Graces as Children Often

Spend a lot of time alone reading, making collections, and so on
Have a few special friends rather than many
Are very bright and curious and do well in school
Have independent minds and often question their parents and teachers
Watch events from a detached point of view, gathering information
Assume a poker face in order not to look afraid
Are sensitive; avoid interpersonal conflict
Feel intruded upon and controlled and/or ignored and neglected

Graces as Parents

Are often kind, perceptive, and devoted
Are sometimes authoritarian and demanding
May expect more intellectual achievement than is developmentally appropriate
May be intolerant of their children expressing strong emotions

Take Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz at HelloQuizzy

Normal Birth

2008-11-01T18:32:00.003+11:00

I really enjoy reading Joy Johnston's blog "Villagemidwife". Joy is an independent midwife who practices in Victoria. She is also Laura's aunt and it was on Laura's blog I first found Joy's blog and have been reading ever since. I'm mentioning all this because I really enjoyed her latest two blog posts discussing The Bare Necessities for a Normal Birth. One is a written document and the second is Joy's first video where she discusses these necessities. It's very informative and also very helpful. Worth a look!

So Long As It's Healthy...

2008-10-19T19:46:00.004+11:00

Has anyone else ever thought about what an ODD statement that is?

As a pregnant woman you are often asked, "Do you know if it's a boy or a girl?" And quite frequently the pregnant woman replies with "We don't mind so long as it's healthy."

What is with that? Do they mean that if the baby is born prematurely and spends a month or two or more in NICU that they won't love the baby? Or if the baby is born with a severe disability that they weren't prepared for they'll not care for it? Or if it's diagnosed with something like Down Syndrome and they continue the pregnancy they'll abandon it? Very strange.

In many ways we're just copying the world and the medical profession's push for only allowing perfect babies to be born. We've been coerced, talked into and told how great it is that ultrasounds can give us a window into the womb but they're used to screen for abnormalities and problems...and THEN....when something shows up on the screen the pressure a mother is put through to abort that baby is astronomical. I read a book several months ago called Defiant Birth: Women Who Resist Medical Eugenics that explored through a series of medical journal/reports on this thinking and also quite a few personal stories and accounts of women who have kept their babies in spite of the intense medical pressure to terminate.

As a Christian and someone who is pro-life I find this kind of thinking horrible. I would like to be able to prepare myself mentally if my child had a severe disability or even a milder one like Down Syndrome. However, to blindly allow myself to go off to say an 11 week ultrasound or even the big 20 week ultrasound and say that the ultrasound is just to reassure myself of the babies existance and to find out if it's a boy or girl is naive and misses the point that the whole reason for this ultrasound being introduced to the care of pregnant women is to screen for Down Syndrome and other disabilities incase she wishes to terminate...which 3 in 4 women do--is that because of social pressure, medical pressure or fear of the unknown of what caring for a child like that would be like?

I admit that if something out of the ordinary were to occur and my child was stillborn, born sick or with a disability I would grieve. I would grieve for the child I didn't get but then I hope that with God's grace I would learn to love that little child I was given and learn to care for them in the way that they needed and would learn to rely on God for the strength, courage and patience to face the days, months and years to come.

For what it's worth: I'm 11 weeks pregnant and NOT having the 11 week ultrasound. It's not common practice for women under 30 anyway but I did have the choice. I hold nothing against those who have chosen to get the ultrasound (it is after all reassuring to see that little person growing inside and watch that tiny heart beat with such regular rhythm!)

WFMW: Simple Toddler Dress-ups

2008-10-16T08:12:00.001+11:00

Dress ups! Toddler style!

Dress ups is a term that evokes pictures of little girls in tu-tus and little boys in superman capes. All of which I envision having in my home one day.

However, at this point in time I'd like to encourage dressing up and Shelby does like to try on things for sure. I'm happy to help and be an active participant in dressing up but I also want to encourage independent play as much as possible. To that end I've ensured that pretty much everything that goes into her dress up basket (behind her in the photo) is something she can put on by herself. So, far that's been lots of hats, scarves, bags, glasses frames, necklaces, wands etc. The only thing that she requires my help to put on with are her fairy wings which were a birthday gift. In the months and years ahead I can see dresses, shirts, skirts, shorts, and more making their way into our dress up box/basket/drawer/whatever sized recepticle we may need but for now easy, accessorizing dress-ups works for us! For more works-for-me-wednesday ideas visit Shannon at Rocks In My Dryer.

Big Girl Now!

2008-10-15T10:43:00.003+11:00

A few big things going on around here!

Along with her "little" message Shelby would also like to announce to the world that she has successfully made the potty switch (for day and looks like naps and nighttime won't be far behind)! With minimal fuss and bother too which is a good thing living in a fully carpeted unit. (So far NO accidents on the carpet! Woohoo!)

For future reference what worked for us:

1) Waiting until Shelby was begging to wear undies and use the potty.

2) Letting her accompany us on bathroom trips and talking about what was involved.

3) Buying a small potty that can convert to the big toilet and is a step-stool to reach both the toilet and sink.

4) Introducing ~~bribes~~ lollies for successfully making it to the potty for #2. (#1 never needed ~~bribes~~ lollies of any sort she just "had it" amazingly.)

Ice-Cube Painting

2008-09-30T16:08:00.007+10:00

In an attempt to actually try to do at least one fun activity with Shelby each day and also to utilise the learning potential from watching Play-School (her favourite TV show) I went onto their website last week and got ideas of things to do with Shelby revolving around the weeks theme. I picked the AM show theme of Open & Close which I must admit I haven't seen too much of in the show but the activities have been fun. So far, we've made a car/wagon out of a box for Shelby to push/pull her toys around in, had a tea-party outside, made cooked play-dough beads and threaded them onto string and lastly we've made some ice-cube paintings!

This was actually a lot of fun. Last week I filled up the ice-cube molds with water and added food colouring to some of the blocks. Next time I do this I'll actually just water down paint which will I think make darker, bolder colours and hopefully eliminate the "colour-all-moving-into-the-centre-of-the-cube" problem that we had this time.

Still it actually worked. She found it rather cold!! (and so did I when I did a couple of pages, actually!) Now she's outside watching the cubes finish melting and the colours mixing to that lovely icky brown colour that mixing so many colours always acheives.

The Play-School website has extension activites for most of their themes. If you're interested you can find them here. And even if you don't watch play-school for whatever reason a lot of the activities are easy and fun to do using things that most people have at home already!

One more thing: I have actually video-taped the AM show both days so far and we watched it at a more suitable time during the day. Sometimes Shelby watches the 9:30am show when I shower but othertimes we're out 'n about at that time of the day so I wanted to be able to watch it later in the day. So far that's working well for us. :)

Budget!

2008-09-23T21:51:00.003+10:00

Matt & I just spent part of an hour reviewing September's budget and checking that we were on track with it all (and we didn't have any fights!). Then we spent the rest of the hour thinking about Christmas/holiday budget and how that relates to our monthly budgets for the rest of the year.

In the past 7 months (ever since we signed up for MyTotalMoneyMakover.com) I feel like we've finally gotten the hang of doing a budget. We've tried a few different methods over the past 5 years of marriage from the "ignore-it-budget" to the "try-to-guess-everything-that-we-could-possibily-face-in-the-next-12 months-and-divide-by-12-budget".

Nowadays we do a simple "Zero Based Budget" and spend every dollar on paper on purpose before the month begins taking into account each months personal idiosyncracies. It's so freeing! And we feel like we've gotten a raise!! Seriously, we are always amazed at just how much money we have to spend. And it's great to spend money on things and not have that nagging guilt feeling of "I think I just spent the money we might need for the phone bill." Because I know I budgeted for that too! Thank you Dave Ramsey for introducing us to this novel way of doing things...the simple way often is the best way.

Disturbing: Sharia Law now upheld in the UK

2008-09-18T13:00:00.003+10:00

Here's the link to the story as told by TIMES Online. I don't even know what to say except I hope we don't have that clause in our law system here.

Ditzy Head....

2008-09-16T20:57:00.001+10:00

Yes I feel ditzy...considering that I tried to burn my house down again yesterday and that I keep misplacing stupid things I'll be the first to admit to being a ditz these days. Everyone, you are warned...

Mischievous Eyes

2008-08-29T11:07:00.003+10:00

Mark Driscoll in Sydney!

2008-08-27T16:55:00.002+10:00

Here's a video link of Mark Driscoll discussing Sydney, faith and culture. Worth a look.

Shelbyisms

2008-08-08T15:02:00.003+10:00

Shelby Help! = "Go away! I can do this by myself!"

Mummy Help! = "Agh I can't do it so you better do it for me."

2 Year Old In the House!

2008-06-20T12:00:00.003+10:00

Watch out world. We have a 2-year-old in the house!! And are loving it. We didn't have a huge party but did have a few playgroup friends over and cupcakes. She enjoyed the attention and I enjoyed the fact that it was low key.

A few brief Shelby factoids to sum up.

My favorite foods are...dehydrated bananas, sultanas, mandarines, honey & butter on toast and mummy's milk.

My favorite toy is...my dolls, swings and any small container that can hold things like sand, buttons, food, water etc.

My favorite words are...Daddy!, "Delby" (Shelby), Mummy, "No more!"

My favourite friends are..."Dora" (Cora) & "Rainee" (Raina)

Places in the world I've visited are...NSW, QLD, Vic, USA (current total for aeroplane flights is 22!)

My favorite colour is...none yet as far as Mum & Dad can tell.

My favorite TV show/video is...Bananas in Pyjamas

I really like the books...Caps for Sale & Jesse Bear What Will You Wear

When I'm cranky ___ usually calms me down... music, cuddles, walks in the pram, and doing something fun with Mum & Dad.

My favorite song is... anything I can dance to. (Although I do have a special affinity for violin music to Mum's chagrin and Dad's delight!)

My parents call me... Scruffy Jim or Shelby Jones for no apparent reason...

Viewing Laundry as Hope for the Future

2008-06-17T22:06:00.007+10:00

Note to self: Read this book asap! Two bloggers have quoted this book in the past week and both times I've thought that it sounded intriguing. First Elizabeth and then Andrea who was linked to by Amy.

Even so seemingly non transcendent an act as putting clothing away can be a gesture of memory or of hope. We put laundry away in drawers and closets in the expectation that another day or season will come when we will need those things again. We pack away baby clothes in boxes in the hope that another child or grandchild will be added to the family or that an opportunity will come to pass things along to others who will use them. We save articles of clothing that belonged to a loved one who died, remembering the body that used to be clothed in these things and hoping for the day when our bodies and theirs will finally be truly, gloriously clothed.
~Margaret Kim Peterson Keeping House: The Litany of Everyday Life

No Eggs in This House!

2008-06-11T14:02:00.005+10:00

What's a mum to do when she's just put the almost-two-year-old down for her afternoon nap, goes to the kitchen to whip up some delicious cupcakes (for tomorrow's playgroup birthday party) and finds that there are no eggs in the house?!?

Well, what any normal mum would do of course...consults Google and come up with a nice, simple recipe that she does have all the ingredients for! There are 20 cupcakes currently a baking in our oven and hopefully the fact that they are egg and milk free won't be a problem. We will have to venture out into the wide world to find some icing sugar after said-daughter's nap but in the meantime...thank goodness for Google!

FIVE YEARS

2008-06-07T19:10:00.004+10:00

Each year on our wedding anniversary Matt and I re-say our wedding vows to each other. We just finished doing it right now with Shelby jibbering along in the background and then participating in a group hug. Hopefully as she gets older she'll appreciate it and come to understand what it means. In the meantime, Happy Anniversary to us!

Matt, I just wanted to publicly say thank you for "recognising my God-given talents and gifts" for "listening to my point of view, encouraging my interest and working alongside me to further God's Kingdom on earth". You are my "rest when I'm tired" and my "comfort when I'm sad" and always and most definitely "stability when life seems stormy". I love you and hope to share many more years with you.

If you don't know how we met you can always catch up on all the ins-and-outs of how we met, got engaged and view more wedding photos over here.

Zoo Pics!

2008-06-01T21:15:00.009+10:00

Not too long ago Shelby and I had the opportunity (aka free tickets!) to go on a Zoo Trip with our local "Mums & Bubs Group". Here are a few photos. :)

Getting There is Half the Fun!

WATER! Lots and lots of water!

Obligatory shot of the harbour....

If I lean over far enough can I touch the water?

On the cable car over the zoo. Doesn't she look thrilled?

First animal of the day...probably favourite because it was far away and not close to a window which terrified the living daylights out of her each and every time....

There was even time for a girly-chat or two...probably swapping notes on the big, scary animals. :)

Wise Words on Training Children

2008-05-08T16:33:00.004+10:00

Sally Clarkson has just published a blog-post on her blog that I think I'm going to have to print out, mull over and internalise as it contains so much wisdom and encouragement to keep training and not to grow weary in this Mum job. I think everyone should read it (Dad's included!) so follow the link at the bottom of this post after the short excerpt and read the whole lot. Great thoughts!

No matter what philosophy we as parents have for disciplining children, we need to remember that our goal isn’t primarily to make them obey, but to motivate them to obedience from a sincere and loving heart. I did always feel that if I expected them to learn self-control and the ability to work harder, I also had to be sure I was meeting their essential needs in order to expect them to perform well. I needed to give them a routine life–plenty of sleep, naps when tired, not too much over-stimulation, nutritional food, life-giving, soul-filling words–so that their bodies could support my ideals and expectations for them as a mom. If they were exhausted because of being out too late, then if they cried, I would put them to bed–they didn’t need discipline, they needed to go to sleep.

Bottom line, discipline is more about relational righteousness training and taking time to instruct, train, praise and correct and strengthening a child’s moral character and will through the variety of all the moments of life, than a list of rules about and mandates about when and how long to spank or punish. The Holy Spirit grants each parent wisdom how to apply Biblical principles of training to each parent according to their own puzzle and their unique children–it can look different for each family and each child, but all philosophies that focus on reaching and training the heart, have a deeper influence on the outcome of the child’s soul. I have learned so much from reading scripture and pondering God’s parenting of me. May He give all of us grace and skill and patience!

For the rest of the article click on over to I Take Joy.

Doesn't Work for Me Wednesday

2008-05-07T15:13:00.008+10:00

I'm having a bit of a giggle at Shannon's "doesn't work for me" list over at Rocks in My Dryer and thought I'd add a quick "doesn't work for me" post too.

I think the biggest thing that doesn't work for me is: Wearing a Watch!

I know weird but when I first moved to Sydney I found that because suddenly about 90% of my life revolved around getting to a scheduled event I was constantly checking my watch to see what the time was and see how many nano-seconds til I had to be at such and such. I found that doing this raised my stress levels through the ROOF! And I had this almost constant knot in my gut because I could see that I'd underestimated my getting ready time and I'd have to run to make the train or whatever.

So, I ditched the watch.

I always know approximately what the time is. I always have my mobile phone or iPod within reach to check the time but in reality I've learned that being 5 minutes late is not bad. It's ok. In fact it's better to get their safely and not out of breath than it is to kill one's self to be there on time. And my stomach has slowly un-knotted. It's the only way I've been able to maintain my semi-flexible routine, live in Sydney and retain my sanity.

So, there you have it, wearing a watch DOESN'T work for me. For more "doesn't work for me" posts head over to Rocks in My Dryer.

Oxytocin: The cause of repetitive strain injuries

2008-05-03T21:53:00.008+10:00

Just doing some required reading for my Breastfeeding Counsellor Training and this sentence in the chapter on "How breastfeeding works" jumped out at me as amusing.

Oxytocin causes the 'let-down', or ejection of milk {during a breastfeed}. It also lowers your blood pressure, heart rate and anxiety levels, while at the same time increasing insulin and blood glucose levels as well as your pain threshold, and has even been shown to decrease our resistance to performing repetitive tasks (a bonus only mothers could appreciate!).

So THAT'S why I can keep changing nappies, redirecting childish behavious continuously and visiting the park to push Shelby on the swing multiple times a week!!

Good Reminder

2008-05-01T16:39:00.004+10:00

"Do not turn away from the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart. Do not turn away after useless idols. They can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless. For the sake of his great name the LORD will not reject his people, because the LORD was pleased to make you his own."

1 Samuel 12:20-22

Guilt Free Chocolate Guide!

2008-04-24T10:57:00.007+10:00

I just received a link to this fabulous web-page and have to pass it on. It is an extensive guide by World Vision to chocolate brands and types available in Australia that are FAIRTRADE and can guarantee that no slave labour was used in the farming of the cocoa beans.

I'd also like to add that in terms of buying cooking cocoa I've found a place in Newtown, Sydney on Enmore Rd (directly opposite Enmore Theatre) called Alfalfa House that stocks fairtrade cooking cocoa. Just take your own container to fill up as they're also against excess packaging!

Also, one more thing. Channel Nine ran a 10 minute story on Chocolate and it's Child-Labour Links back in March. Here's a link to the video online.

And if you can't watch that here's a very brief article on Nine's Website.

Sudoku!

2008-04-18T20:00:00.000+10:00

99 Balloons

2008-04-14T17:22:00.001+10:00

When I first heard of Eliot last year I was very touched by his story. I was thrilled to hear on Sunday that his parents have been blessed with another pregnancy! If you've never seen this video please take the time to watch it. It's quite moving.

How to make a Green Smoothie!

2008-03-28T21:49:00.009+11:00

Well, we DID IT! (almost!) We missed the last day because we had no greens in the house so it was just a "fruit smoothie" that morning but the next day I was out shopping and picked up greens and fruit to keep making green smoothies...yes, it's now a habit! I just feel like something's missing if I don't have my smoothie! And to celebrate I thought Shelby & I could demonstrate exactly how to make a my favourite green smoothie complete with photos! So, here goes:

1) Gather all the ingredients: The star of the show is of course, the green leafy vegetable! Today we used a lettuce but silverbeet or spinach are also good choices and it's a good idea to mix it up so that you get the variety of nutrition in all the different green leafy vegetables. We also had available frozen bananas, frozen chopped apples and mangoes, strawberries and blueberries. I like to use at least one-two frozen fruits as they make the smoothie so cold and thick.

2) Place 1-2 cups of water (or milk--almond, soy, cows etc, juice or a combination of your choice) in the blender jug and then fill up the jug with washed lettuce leaves roughly torn up. And then BLEND.

3) You have green sludge---looking GREEN!

4) The fun part! We get to add the fruit. I always add at least 1 banana for sweetness then I add one medium sized fruit eg. 1 apple, 1 mango or 1 pear today it was an apple. And I also added a handful of berries since they are so sweet and have a strong flavour which overpowers any leftover "green" taste that the apple and banana didn't cover.

5) Blend, pour and enjoy! As you can see it's not really green that's because the berries are a darker colour than the greens. We made a tropical green smoothie for dinner tonight and that was green because all we added was 2 bananas, 1 mango and 2 passionfruits so no dark fruits to discolour the green but it tasted amazing! Very sweet and slushy like. Hmmmm!

When does education start?

2008-03-28T21:36:00.004+11:00

I am currently re-reading For the Children's Sake: Foundations of education for home and school by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay (daughter of Francis Schaeffer) and this quote jumped out at me:

Christians can't develop a Christian view of education by accepting the usual aims and views of our society and then adding a "Christian message" or interpretation.

No, we start from a different basis. We have another world view--another people view!

When a baby is picked up, spoken to, and loved, he is starting his education as God planned it. For all our lives we are human beings, in an active state of learning, responding, understanding. Education extends to all of life. In fact, an educational system that says, one bright summer's day in the dawn of my youth, "There. Now you are educated. This piece of paper says so," is doing me a gross disfavor. The truly educated person has only had many doors of interest opened. He knows that life will not be long enough to follow everything through fully.

Shelby's SandBOX

2008-03-12T14:46:00.006+11:00

Rachel Note: I'm closing my eyes to the mess....Friday is sweep the balcony day so I'll deal with it then....

Week 2 of Green Smoothies

2008-03-08T10:03:00.004+11:00

If you come to our house this week you will find a box of Oranges under the kitchen table....God provided us with ALL this fruit on Thursday for $20! Yes $5 a box! That's 50c for each mango and who knows what for the other pieces of fruit. Our freezer is going to be working hard. Since we'll put most of them into smoothies that's the easiest place to store them. What am I going to do with the fruit so we don't waste it?

Bananas--are peeled and in a ziploc bag in the freezer ready to pull one or two out for each smoothie.

Apples & Pears--I've salvaged the ones that are edible fresh and filled the fruit drawer in the fridge. The rest I'm going to wash then trim the bad bits off and core them before freezing in small plastic bags contained in a larger one so I can pull out exactly 1-2 pieces of fruit for each smoothie.

Oranges--I'm going to juice some and freeze them in icypole molds for Shelby & I blended with some goji berries for extra goodness. The others we'll eat fresh and juice some for our smoothies since the juice adds a nice kick. Some people like adding the whole orange to a smoothie but that gives it too much pulp for my taste.

Mangoes--We used 2 in our smoothie this morning. I've pureed 3 and mixed them with coconut oil for some mango-coconut oil icypoles. Pulled out 2 that are still perfectly fine and put them in the fridge to eat fresh this week and the others I'll peel and chop up and freeze for future use in smoothies or baking.

So, that's the fruit side of things taken care of for the next 2 weeks at least. I also bought 1kg of frozen mixed berries in Woolworths so that will give some smoothies a nice variation.

On the actual smoothie eating front. We've had a good week. For our greens this week we used Romaine lettuce. This coming week we're using Silverbeet since there was a nice large bunch on clearance at the fruit and veg store. This morning we had celery and mango with one banana and that was really lovely. Very fresh tasting.

Matt & I are feeling more healthy and I've noticed my body is getting rid of extra toxins and stuff from my system. The smoothie really gives a nice energy kickstart to the day. I'm also coping on less sleep than normal! Given that I'm an 8-9 hour every night kind of person to be going 7 hours and feeling energetic throughout the day is awesome!

Week 1 of Green Smoothies

2008-02-29T12:29:00.003+11:00

Well, it's been 5 days since I started the challenge and so far so good. Shelby & I went out this morning and stocked up on some celery, lettuce, kiwi fruit and mixed frozen berries for this coming weeks green smoothies (we already have plenty of apples, oranges and pears). And I found 2.5 kilos of really ripe bananas at 99c a kilo yesterday so we're set for yummy smoothies all week! :) A couple of nice side-effects so far are:

1) Feeling full til lunchtime with plenty of energy to keep going

2) No craving sugar and other junk foods.

3) Craving good foods like veggies and the like!

Green Smoothie Challenge!

2008-02-22T12:51:00.007+11:00

Shelby & I (and Matt when he's home) are going to be drinking a green smoothie every day for 30 days starting the 25th February through to the 25th of March. Anyone wanna join us?

What is a Green Smoothie?

Well, a green smoothie is a smoothie that is made up of water, green leafy vegetables like spinach, lettuce, silverbeet, parsley etc and fruit like bananas, apples and berries etc.

Why are we doing this?

Well, in the past month we've been dabbling with drinking green smoothies and have quite liked them. They sound gross but really they're quite tasty! Matt is a very cautious food eater and he will drink them and actually likes them. Also, it's tastier than a big green salad. Shelby will drink them but won't touch green veggies except for celery so it's an easy way to get veggies down her throat! AND....Sara at Happy Foody challenged us. :) Fair enough?

Here was her challenge exactly:

For 30 days beginning on February 25, you will commit to this ONE THING:
* Drink 16oz (500ml) of green smoothie each day…preferably for breakfast. I HIGHLY recommend getting the book “Green For Life” by Victoria Boutenko. It’s a quick read and it has lots of yummy smoothie recipes in it. Check out her website too! That’s it! You don’t even need to commit to changing anything else. Just ADD the smoothie.
But, for an added bonus, you could add one or more of the following:
* Do some sort of activity every day. This could be an intense workout, or just dancing with your kids around the living room. It could be a 15 minute yoga session or a walk around the block.
* Add a green leafy salad to your lunch or supper.
* Stop drinking pop.
* Cut out all white sugar.

Here's a link to a You-Tube tutorial on making green smoothies. This was the very first one we tried and it's so far my favourite--although I only use frozen berries (mixed) and probably double the amount she does: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-C8yHa1txCk

Here's another one that explains more of why it's good for you although her smoothie is essentially the same as the first: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXr8-jru1KE&NR=1

The Business of Being Born

2008-02-20T15:00:00.005+11:00

Wow! I just got back from seeing a screening of The Business of Being Born. It was fascinating! It's a documentary put together by Rikki Lake and it explores the way child-birth is done in the United States. Which is sad to say where Australian child-birth especially in the private sector seems to be going.

I think the biggest thing seems to be the fear surrounding childbirth. Women and Doctors are afraid. We're afraid of the pain and the unknown and we don't believe that our bodies can birth our children without a ton of medical intervention. But if that were truly the case then the human race would've died out many years ago. The fact that childbirth death rates were so high not so long ago was because of cross-infection from medical ignorance moreso than complications. Also, Doctors are afraid of litigation and being sued so they cover their butts by jumping to the c-section fast because then in a court of law they can claim they did everything they could to save the baby.

I don't claim to be perfect and I don't claim to have all the answers but I must say that giving birth was the most amazing experience I've ever had. It was hard work! It was painful! But it was amazing. I can only attribute my success in having the birth I envisioned to having had great childbirth education classes followed by a belief that my body could do the job of birthing my baby. And of course the grace of God to strengthen me and get me through. I also am not saying that all births can be like mine just because of these factors. We live in a fallen world that is tainted by sin and because of that our bodies will not always work the way they're supposed to but I think this fear that they won't work and belief that most of the time they won't is a self-fulfilling prophesy. We need to believe that God created our bodies to give birth and 90%+ of the time they can. (The World Health Organization believes that c-sections should not happen any more than 5-10% of the time.) In Australia the c-section rate is the highest in the world at 31%.

A couple of books that I found helpful reading when pregnant and will be revisiting if and when I should get pregnant again are:

New Active Birth by Janet Balaskas
The Pregnancy Book & The Birth Book by William & Martha Sears

There are of course tons and tons of other great birth books out there but these ones are the ones that stick out in my mind. Also watching several natural childbirths really gave me the courage and belief that my body could do it.

Editing to Add this on May 4, 2008. A message board I visit had a link to the whole documentary available online. http://quicksilverscreen.com/watch?video=45525 Definitely worth watching especially if you're planning on giving birth soon or again in your life-time, but you'll probably need fast download to be able to enjoy it properly!

My sweet girl

2008-02-16T20:07:00.005+11:00

Twenty Months on and I still feel an intense desire to be with my daughter every moment that I can. I don't want to miss a thing! I love the connection we have. I love watching her grow and develop and change and learn new things. She has such an infectious enthusiasm for the world and all it holds. The way she chatters to the dogs and cats we meet on our walks to the park. The way she gently touches the leaves and tree bark to see what it feels like. The way she just drinks in life! And I love the fact that when noone else can calm her down a cuddle with Mum and some milk will make the world seem a much happier place to be again.

Thank you God for this little girl. Thank you for her gentle spirit. The gentle way she tenderly cares for her dolls. The careful way she carries paper-clips around in funny containers throughout my house and her love for creating "scribbles". May I not put a stumbling block in her path that hinders her from seeing You in the world. May I be responsible as a parent to disciple her in the way You would have her go. And may I not seek to make her fit my preconceived mold of how she should be but point her to You as the author of life and the only true source of purpose and joy.

Attachment Parenting Thoughts

2008-02-07T16:47:00.000+11:00

Belief in baby’s cries doesn’t mean that babies will never cry.

While I believe that my children are communicating with me, the answer (with an older baby or child) is sometimes no.

Meeting a baby or child’s needs doesn’t mean giving them everything they want.

Attachment parenting should be intuitive, not hard and miserable.

Attachment parenting doesn’t mean that the parents aren’t in charge anymore or don’t discipline.

Attachment parenting is about the ideals set forth by Dr. Sears, not cloth diapering, organic eating, or wooden toys (as great as all those things may be). That’s Natural Family Living. And not all parents interested in being AP are going to be interested in Natural Family Living. Don’t try to force them.

Amen and Amen. I whole-heartedly agree. Too often parents who follow the attachment-parenting model make it a list of "must-dos" when it's really a mindset. The rest of the blog post I've just quoted can be found here. Dr Sear's Baby B's are well-described here. What Dr Sears says attachment parenting is NOT is here. And what are the benefits of this parenting style? Check them out here.

Am I Mutiness at Heart??

2008-02-01T12:53:00.000+11:00

I was convicted when I read this quote on someone's blog. It's an excerpt from an article at Youth Specialties:

The materialism of American Christianity rests entirely in the fact that we’ve turned one single verse on its head. Paul surrenders himself with the words, “To the Jews I become like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those not having the law” (1 Cor. 9:20 NIV). When in Rome, we might say.
But American Christians are largely doing this in reverse order. Paul chose to be like the Gentiles to minister to the Gentiles. We choose to minister to the suburban middle class, because we have chosen to be like them. The average American Christian seeks to go to college, secure a career, move to the suburbs, have 2.5 kids, and then declare, “Here I am, Lord! Send me!” We, the crew, have cast out the anchor and settled down before asking the captain, “To where are we sailing?” And I imagine that Jesus feels like his call to us is like a captain trying to steer an anchored ship. In the Navy, this is called mutiny.

Hat-tip to Sara for pointing me to this quote in her awesome blog post pondering living a life of excess.

Disturbed: Yankee Doodle Dandy

2008-01-28T19:05:00.000+11:00

We watched the 2 Disc Special Edition of Yankee Doodle Dandy today since it is 100 on the AFI's Top 100 film list. As the special edition it has a feature where you can experience a night at the movies 1942 style with a theatrical trailer for Casablanca, a Newsreel, Short Film (in this case the Patriotic Short Subject called "Beyond the Line of Duty") and a Bugs Bunny Cartoon before the movie itself. Which is a very novel and fun idea. However, by the time I finished watching the film and all these extras I felt really disturbed and unsettled. The main things that jumped out to me were:

1) The Newsreel announcer was basically going through telling the US public of all the places that the US army was fighting the war against the Axis....and the way it was put together made it seem like the US was single handedly defending every country in the world (including Australia). While they may have had soldiers in every country I find it hard to believe that it was purely their presence that defended those countries. Also, the announcer had a line that stated, "America has never lost a war they've fought in and they're not going to lose this one." Or words to that effect. Such arrogance....really grated with me...noone can tell who will win a war until it's OVER!

2) The Patriotic Short Subject "Beyond the Line of Duty" is a short film about a war story involving an Airforce pilot and a hairy mission over the Phillipines. It really glorified the role of the airforce pilots. I don't deny that they played a very very important role in WWII but when the average lifespan for a pilot during WWII was 3 weeks...to glorify it in such a manner rubbed me the wrong way.

3) The film Yankee Doodle Dandy has a song in it that was written by George M Cohan for World War I called Over There. The chorus most disturbed me so I've cut and pasted it below:

Over there, over there,

Send the word, send the word over there

-That the Yanks are coming,

The Yanks are coming,

The drums rum-tumming

Ev'rywhere.

So prepare, say a pray'r,

Send the word,

send the word to beware.

We'll be over, we're coming over,

And we won't come back till it's over

Over there.

I think this chorus epitomises the way I have seen America deal with problems in the past 6 years (and that's all that I can remember since I've not been an adult all that long! :)). Combined with the newsreel and short film it just disturbed me and made me really quite angry at the arrogance and idea that this seemed to be trying to say that America is this amazing empire that will never fall. All empires eventually fall it's the way of History. Please, don't misunderstand me: I am not saying I want America to fall. I am also not saying that I believe this 1942 film and attached extras epitomise America perfectly. It does however, give me an understanding and perhaps a realisation that if this is the kind of propaganda that the US have been fed over the last 100 years then George Bush and his policies and war declaring ways are just an outworking of that. Perhaps I've oversimplified things but really I'm quite glad to be Australian this evening and I'm going to have to shake this disturbed feeling.

Favourite Books

2008-01-23T14:03:00.000+11:00

It looks like Shelby will follow in her parent's footsteps and like to read books. Currently at 19 months 2 of her favourite books are:

Which is a really really sweet story and I could read it 5 times a day and not care. It's has lovely pictures of baby animals with their mothers snuggling in for the night. Very endearing and each page has 2 lines of text that rhyme in a sweet repetitive manner without being obnoxious.

I am SURE that the subject matter goes over her head but she must like the repetitiveness of the "No Bertie, That's Dirty Bertie" on every page. It was her favourite back about 6 months ago as well but I got utterly SICK of reading it 5 times a day so hid it on my bookshelf until yesterday when I pulled it out again and of course she still adores hearing it.

Highly Recommend

2008-01-05T13:51:00.001+11:00

Just thought I'd draw your attention to a couple of things.

One being my husband's blog: The Relentless Pursuit of Cold Shivers

He's been very busy over the past few weeks reviewing everything from books to movies so take a wander and see his (IMO) well-written reviews! :) (If you're only interested in something eg. books or movies or whatever just click on the category of interest in the right hand column.)

Secondly, I wanted to draw your attention to the archives of The Briefing at Matthias Media. They have (again IMO) done a very good job of fairly evaluating a variety of parenting books sold in the Christian market. Review: There's No Place Like Home: the marvellous land of Christian parenting books

Merry Christmas!!

2007-12-25T23:07:00.000+11:00

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!"

John 1:29

There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him." Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit."

John 3:1-8

The Candle of Love!

2007-12-23T23:05:00.000+11:00

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved."

John 3:16-17

Consumption Rebellion

2007-12-18T23:31:00.001+11:00

If you are to add just one more RSS feed to your Bloglines, Goodle Reader or other such RSS feeder of information can I highly recommend this one? Consumption Rebellion is written by Eilleen who started the blog to record her journey over 12 months of not consuming anything new. She has also done a lot of research on the child-slavery and chocolate issue and continues to inspire me to consume less. She posts infrequently but when she does it's worth taking the time to read it. Check it out!

Disclaimer: Of course I don't agree with the blog 100% (who does with anything?!) so use your own discernment when reading.

The Candle of Joy!

2007-12-16T23:01:00.000+11:00

And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood brfore them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men!" So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, "Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us."

Luke 2:7-15

A Good Reason to KNOW your Child

2007-12-15T10:15:00.001+11:00

The Candle of Preparation!

2007-12-09T22:57:00.000+11:00

...as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying: "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the LORD, make His paths straight. Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill brought low; and the crooked places shall be made straight and the rough ways made smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'"

LUKE: 3:4-6

15 Minutes for Mum

2007-12-05T21:14:00.000+11:00

Allow me...for one short moment...to wax lyrical about the wonderful beverage called a Latte'.

I believe that most Mother's woes can be healed by the lovely balm of 15 minutes out to her local coffee shop to grab a caramel latte' and sit down and drink it straight through without having to stop to play dolly's or share a mouthful with her daughter.

Well, it usually heals mine. And with that thought I shall be off to attempt to put my little "sleep striker" to bed....

Kitchen Tip Tuesday: Menu Mailer

2007-12-04T14:30:00.000+11:00

Do you struggle to plan a healthy but varied menu each week? Do you plan the main meal but can't work out what sides to cook? Well, guess what?! That's ME!! I am really bad at making up a weekly menu and I can never quite get all the side dishes right. So, in enters my new favourite meal planner....Saving Dinner.

Recently I bought the Summer Edition of the Frugal Menu Mailer e-book (we are in Australia so our seasons are "upside down" *grin*) and in the past month Matthew & I have been enjoying some of the most healthy and refreshing meals. We've seen an increase in our vegetable consumption, the meals are seasonal and as such the produce I'm buying is cheapest....and bonus a lot of them are amazingly fast to prepare!

For more kitchen tips vist Tammy's Recipes.

The Candle of Hope!

2007-12-02T22:48:00.000+11:00

And again, Isaiah says: "There shall be a root of Jesse; And He who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, In Him the Gentiles shall hope." Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believeing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:12-13

WFMW: Toddler Pops!

2007-11-28T15:02:00.000+11:00

Hot summer afternoons spent outside enjoying a cold, dripping icy-pole! Hmmm....sounds like heaven on a paddle-pop stick!

Well, recently I have introduced Shelby to this phenomena. And she LOVES them too! I like to make healthy versions of these at home using my icy-pole moulds.

However, I found that Shelby was having trouble holding onto the small stick end and there was a little bit too much icy-pole for her....so I had a think about it and came up with this solution...

Toddler Pops! (as you can see they are quite popular!)

I bought some paddle-pop sticks at the local newsagent and when I made my last batch of Mango & Coconut Icypoles I poured some of the mixture into an ice-cube tray, covered the tray with foil and stuck the paddlepop sticks into each cube. Voila'! Shelby can hold the paddle-pop stick easily and there isn't an overwhelming amount of icy-pole to eat! :)

Now that works for me and Shelby! Want to get other ideas? Head over to Shannon's for more Works-for-Me-Wednesday ideas!

Sweetness

2007-11-27T14:41:00.001+11:00

Sweetness is Shelby leaning her cheek in towards me so I can kiss it as I carry her to bed.

Reading Pile Gone Crazy!

2007-11-26T13:37:00.000+11:00

I have a confession to make.... I love to read books. Not surprised? Okay well here is the related confession....I have a book pile of books I've started that is so big it's out of control! I really must try to pick only ONE and work my way through it until I've finished it before working through another one. It's making my brain ache with so many thoughts flying around in it!

So, shall I share my current reading list? Why not. It certainly can't hurt and I really am enjoying them ALL! I don't know which is my current favourite either! Starting in the order I've gotten them...

This is a book Matt read earlier in the year and highly recommended I read. It is a very challenging book as its making me realise just how high I put the fear of what other people will think in charge of how I live my life/appear to live my life regardless of whether God would have me live/appear to live that way or not.

Next a female friend who is currently training to become a MD lent me an Australian written book called Defiant Birth: Women Who Resist Medical Eugenics. It has been a very very eye-opening and gut-wrenching look at how our culture has become so obsessed with physical perfection. To sum up the message of this book I am going to quote from an online article about eugenics:

"Eugenic thinking is alive and well today," asserts Stoler-Liss. "It is expressed mainly in the very high rate of pre-natal tests and genetic filtering [of genetically deviant fetuses]. Mothers are very highly motivated to give birth only to healthy children and the attitude toward the exceptional, the different and the handicapped [...] is problematic."

At the library a week or two ago I was browsing the shelves for books. When in the children's section three books jumped out at me and said, "Take me home and read me!" (Seriously they did! ;-))

This one appealed to me as I have been listening to some challening sermons on podcast from Mars Hill about not neglecting to help the poor and as it's not something I've heard a sermon on in my own church for a long time/if ever I wanted to get some facts. This is a junior high level book but since it has pictures and easy to read paragraphs I felt it might be a clear and easier way to learn more about poverty and it's affects around the world.

I am a huge fan of the Anne of Green Gables books and whenever I see another LM Montgomery book I tend to be attracted...and so far the Story Girl is a delightful read!

Is it something I should admit to the blogosphere and fellow Australians that I grew up without experiencing the joy of reading May Gibbs' book Snugglepot and Cuddlepie? Matt thinks that it is a very sad thing in deed and so when I saw the book on the shelf I knew that I really must read it. So, after lunch today Shelby & I started reading it. So far so good! :)

In a recent Christmas order from Amazon mostly to buy presents for Matthew I added 2 books that I've been keen to read for a while now and just this Saturday they finally arrived....and yes I started them both straight away!

Lord, Please Meet Me in the Laundry Room: Heavenly Hep for Earthly Moms by Barbara Curtis is a book written to encourage everyday Mums that God is bigger than any place yous et aside to meet Him and as near as you invite Him to be. It is written by a mum of 12 children and is so far fantastic. Barbara is refreshingly honest and very encouraging.

Grace and parenting? Do they really go together? In a sub-culture that has so many books on how to parent your child that all come across with much the same tone....spank your child firmly and a lot and they will turn out perfect....this is a refreshing book. I am only 1/2 way through but the biggest paradigm shift/challenging thought so far has been:

"Grace-based parents have a keen wareness of their feet of clay. They understand their own propensity toward sin. This make the grace and forgiveness they received from Christ much more appreciated. It stirs them to love and good deeds for the right reasons. They aren't driven by guilt and a need to do penance."

And also, he addresses the fear that grace=permissive parenting:

"Grace does not exclude obedience, respect, boundaries, or discipline, but it does determine the climate in which these important parts of parenting are carried out. You may be weird and quirky, but God loves you through His grace with all of your weirdness and quirkiness. You may feel extremely inadequate and fragile in key areas of your life, but God comes alongside you in those very areas of weakness and carries you through with His grace.....His grace is there for you when you fail, when you fall, and when you make huge mistakes."

And of course there is a whole lot more. I'm looking forward to learning and growing in grace as I seek to parent with both grace AND truth!

Nail Brushes in the Kitchen!

2007-11-15T13:58:00.000+11:00

Do you ever spend extra $$ on washed potatoes?

Do you ever have trouble cleaning the bits of food out of your strainers?

Well, THIS is the post for you! I would like to introduce you to my new best friend in the kitchen....

the humble nailbrush!

This amazing little gadget that I picked up for approximately $2 in Big W (Walmart equivalent) will scrub your cheap but very dirty potatoes clean with the help of some water within minutes and that sieve that has all the crusted food on it that you really should throw out? Give it a scrub with the nailbrush and voila' CLEAN!

Perhaps you already knew this but if not I hope this kitchen tip has helped you. It certainly works for me! For more other helpful ideas visit Tammy at Tammy's Recipes and Shannon at Rocks in My Dryer.

Bill Gates VS GM

2007-11-09T12:48:00.000+11:00

I read this on another blog and had to share since it is too funny to keep to myself. Enjoy!

Gates vs. GM
For all of us who feel only the deepest love and affection for the way computers have enhanced our lives, read on.

At a recent computer expo (COMDEX), Bill Gates reportedly compared the computer industry with the auto industry and stated, "If GM had kept up with technology like the computer industry has, we would all be driving $25.00 cars that got 1,000 miles to the gallon."

In response to Bill's comments, General Motors issued a press release stating: If GM had developed technology like Microsoft, we would all be driving cars with the following characteristics:

1. For no reason whatsoever, your car would crash........Twice a day.

2. Every time they repainted the lines in the road, you would have to buy a new car.

3. Occasionally your car would die on the freeway for no reason. You would have to pull to the side of the road, close all of the windows, shut off the car, restart it, and reopen the windows before you could continue. For some reason you would simply accept this.

4. Occasionally, executing a maneuver such as a left turn would cause your car to shut down and refuse to restart, in which case you would have to reinstall the engine.

5. Macintosh would make a car that was powered by the sun, was reliable, five times as fast and twice as easy to drive - but would run on only five percent of the roads.

6. The oil, water temperature, and alternator warning lights would all be replaced by a single "This Car Has Performed An Illegal Operation" warning light.
I love the next one!!!

7. The airbag system would ask "Are you sure?" before deploying.

8. Occasionally, for no reason whatsoever, your car would lock you out and refuse to let you in until you simultaneously lifted the door handle, turned the key and grabbed hold of the radio antenna.

9. Every time a new car was introduced car buyers would have to learn how to drive all over again because none of the controls would operate in the same manner as the old car.

10. You'd have to press the "Start" button to turn the engine off.

William Wilberforce's Job Not Finished

2007-09-30T23:01:00.000+10:00

I'm sure that a fair few of you have seen the film "Amazing Grace" about William Wilberforce and his fight to make slavery abolished in Great Britain.

Well, it has come to my attention that in our world today there are still slaves and slave trading. I was shocked when I first heard about it and in denial! Anyway, it seems from my passive (I was in denial!) research that this is quite true. Most disturbing is the way that as a Western consumer of CHOCOLATE I am probably consuming on a regular basis chocolate that has been made from cocoa beans grown on the Ivory Coast of Africa where 10,000+ child slaves work on cocoa plantations under less than ideal circumstances.

I know that there are tons and tons of causes and things to jump up and down and get worked up over but for me this one is disturbing me at the moment and I have decided that from hereon I will make every effort to consume cocoa & chocolate that is most definitely-without a doubt fair-trade. So far that seems to limit me to consuming the following brands: (Note that most of these are NOT the common chocolate brands widely available throughout Australia.)

Green and Blacks - This is chocolate that is both organic and slave free. Having said that, this brand is owned by Cadbury's who are NOT slave-free.

Abundant Earth

Cocola(Australian company available in Coles supermarkets)

Scarborough Fair Chocolate (NZ based company available in Coles in NSW & ACT)

And any other chocolate that has Australian Certified Organic accreditation. (There are heaps of accreditation systems but ACO requires that all ingredients in the product are produced in accordance with Internation Labour Laws (this includes no slavery in the production process).

For your own personal research you can start by checking out the following links:

Article that ran in THE AGE last week

Consumption Rebellion Blog (this is where I first heard of the chocolate and slavery link)

You Tube Video Made in the UK but still good--some disturbing images

Anyone know of any other fair-trade chocolate and cocoa brands availalbe in Australia?? Anyone else concerned about consuming slave made chocolate??

Today I am celebrating my mother-in-law!

2007-09-25T21:30:00.000+10:00

Sound strange? Well, it's because on this day, 29 years ago, my mother-in-law gave birth to a baby boy. And not only that, she gave birth via induction to a breech presenting baby whilst laying on her back with only a little "gas" to take the edge off the pain!

My hat goes off to her as I don't think I could've done that. Thank you Mum for letting that little baby become my husband. You did a great job raising him!

And of course HAPPY 29th BIRTHDAY, to my favourite man! I'm so glad you're in my life. Thank you for the way you take such great care of Shelby & I.

One size does NOT fit all!

2007-09-22T20:57:00.000+10:00

Hat-tip to Amy at Humble Musings for this link. I think it's too good not to share.

I have found that the mothers I know with the most "experience" are the ones who are least adamant about a one-size-fits-all parenting style. Children, even in the same family, are born with different personalities. What worked for baby number one might not do the trick for baby number six. Wise parenting requires flexibility and a willingness to set aside commitment to any particular "method" in favor of "what is working for this particular family at this point in time".

You can read the rest of the post that this is the closing paragraph of over here. (I have not looked around the rest of the blog so can't vouch for all this author writes. But I did agree very much with the tone of this post.) Way way too often parents think that what worked with number one will work for number 2. Too often kids get treated like cookie-cutter molds of each other and the individuality of each child isn't taken into consideration with regards to how they are parented. Not a good thing.

And as the mother of a breastfeeding toddler I can totally see how easy it would be to fall into the trap of just feeding the toddler rather than getting up and playing with them. I am guilty of doing this on occasion but at the same time I am really conscious that I don't make that a habit and that Shelby is being stimulated and having fun and learning things that she can only get away from breastfeeding. I still hold to the belief that breastfeeding beyond one is still a great thing but it does need to have boundaries and it does need to be a give and take. They do NOT need to be fed each and every time they ask for it. Sometimes they just need an extra cuddle and story time. :)

WFMW: Toy Stations

2007-09-12T14:47:00.000+10:00

Well, I have been reading and gleaning lots of great ideas for several months now over at Rocks in My Dryer. So, since I have a half-way decent idea I thought I'd participate in her weekly blog carnival!

And the idea is......TOY STATIONS! Even though we have a teeny tiny unit my daughter still follows me around when I move from room to room doing things. So, since she's with me in a variety of places throughout the day I figured that I would designate "toy stations" in each room rather than have her dragging toys from one room to the next and then me having to find them all and put them back in their home at the end of the day!

And it really works for me! I've taken a few photos so you can see what I mean.

So far the only place that doesn't have a toy station is the bedroom because a) I don't spend that much time in there and b) I like to keep that space designated as the "sleep room".

First up we have the office/spare room/library room where I spend my computer time. Here we had a spare shelf clear which conveniently worked out at her height so that's where the toys are. This is where we also store some of the toys she's not that into (basket on the right) and her basket of excess books and the box of stuffed animals. And up in the back corner of the photo you can see her yellow table with paper taped to the top and a couple of crayons...that's for her "artistic" expression! :)

Then in the loungeroom and dining area we have a small bookshelf. Pretty self explanatory. The books you can see standing up her current library board books to encourage her to go and pick them up and read them. I hope to replace the table and chair with a small childsized lounge chaise thing so she can sit down easily.

And then out on the back balcony we have the bigger toys. Where I was standing when I took the photo is my hammock so I can relax while she plays. Win-win for us both!

Other "toy stations" I have around the house that aren't pictured are in the bathroom we have a basket of bath toys that Shelby is allowed to play with whenever I'm in there AND during bath time. And then in the kitchen when I'm cooking or whatever she has free access to the tupperware cupboard and pots and pans.

Has anyone else ever used toy-stations in their house? What's worked for you?

Hopefully this has helped you! For more great ideas see this weeks edition of Works-for-me-Wednesday.

NEVER....Say Never!

2007-09-03T12:42:00.001+10:00

I must be the last person on earth (besides my parents that is) to watch the first season of Lost.

I am one of those people that can't stand suspense, thrillers, creepy music and anything that makes me jump. I happened to see Charlie's hanging, the dead body in the tree and a few "dark moments" when my sister and brother and Matt were watching it ages and ages ago and swore black and blue that I would NEVER...EVER....EVER watch Lost!!

As they say Never, Say Never!

I have just finished watching the first season and I must say it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be but SHHH! don't tell Matt I just said that. Though I do have to ask, what is with the season finale ending with just as many questions if not more than we started with?? It only gets worse from what I've heard around the traps.

Simplifying

2007-08-20T21:40:00.000+10:00

The call of the new. A desire to make ourselves feel good. The learned idea that we reward ourselves with something new/tangible. All of these are reasons for consuming more and storing up for oursevles material things.

Matt & I have been and are still on a journey of learning to live more with less, to be content with the state of our things as they are and learning to let go of things that are no longer loved, used and appreciated.

To list all of the things we have let go of in the past few months would take too long but let's just say that our 2 bedroom unit is feeling more spacious than it ever has in all of the 4 years we've lived here....and that's with a 1 year old toddler added to the mix! We love it!

Our bedroom is just that...a restful haven for sleep. Our office/spare room has one wall lined with all our bookcases and it feels so friendly! The loungeroom is still a work in progress. Whilst the kitchen is slowly becoming a place where meals and snacks can be whipped up quickly and easily because there are less things and appliances to push through to get to the useful things! YAY!

Our inspiration? Paul's words in 1 Timothy 6:8 challenging us to be content with food and clothing. Don Aslett's book "Clutter's Last Stand" and Sara's blog simply titled Walk Slowly, Live Wildly--her family is currently living in an RV on tour around America and they have only stored a few plastic boxes of things behind with her family!

How I long to be able to let go of the excess in my life and say with Paul:

“I don’t have a sense of needing anything personally. I’ve learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I’m just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I’ve found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am.”

Philippians 4:12 (The Message)

Marriage Quote

2007-07-24T21:56:00.000+10:00

Matthew & I both love books. We try to enjoy books together and his mum gave us a copy of the book Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas last year. We are about 1/2 way through it at the moment and really enjoying it. Well, I'm not sure that enjoy is the right word but it certainly is thought-provoking!

Just have to share a quote that both gave us a thrill when we read it tonight.

Becoming one--in the deepest, most intimate sense--takes time. It's a journey that never really ends, but it takes at least the span of a decade for the sense of intimacy to really display itself in the marriage relationship.
--Gary Thomas "Sacred Marriage" pg 107

In this chapter Gary was discussing the concept of persistance and it's being a part of a good marriage. What he calls a "sacred marriage". One that is focused on God and eternity. Another quote which I think is great so I'll also share it goes:

Persistence doesn't make sense unless we live with a keen sense of eternity....Christian endurance is based on the idea that there is another life, commonly known as heaven, which is eternal and for which this world is a preparation. The coming world is so glorious, weighted with so much honor, that it is worth making sacrifices now to receive glory, honor, and immortality there.
--Gary Thomas "Sacred Marriage" pg 110

This thought is based upon Romans 2:7-8 which says:

"To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger." (emphasis mine)

Thought provoking stuff huh? I know that it is probably more profound to me as I've read all his explanation and other thoughts but it is a really challenging book. I really encourage those who are engaged or married to give it a read and let it's thoughts and principles seep into their hearts and minds and challenge them.

Disclaimer: Of course not everything Gary says it to be taken as "Gospel truth" as he is a fallible human so you will need to test everything against Scripture.

Wisely Raising Baby??

2007-07-20T20:00:00.000+10:00

If anyone has ever been reccomended and toyed with the idea of following the advice of Gary Ezzo found in the book Babywise and all it's subsequent sequals, then I implore you to please go and read the posts about Gary Ezzo and his teachings over at TulipGirl's Ezzo Week and Ezzo.info. If that doesn't make you change your mind or at least encourage you to drastically modify the advice you're following then I'm afraid there isn't much hope. I don't say this in some way to make you guilty or accuse you of being an aweful or unloving parent if you're following Babywise. I just share this in the hopes that it can help to prevent some of the heartache and pain that has been caused by these teachings in many homes across the world.

More baby-friendly and common sense parenting helps can be found in:

Baby Love by Robin Barker
The Baby Book by William & Martha Sears
The Complete book of Christian Parenting & Child-Care by William & Martha Sears
The Complete book of Baby & ChildCare by Focus on the Family

Further book suggestions can also be found here.

2007-07-07T17:32:00.000+10:00

Would you like to save money on your child's future health?

Would you like to have less visits to see speech therapists and orthodontists?

According to ProMom's 101 Reasons to Breastfeed (which most of the reasons have sources listed to back up their claims). You can save money and time on these things just by breastfeeding! How cool is that?

But wait there's more!

What about a better behaved child? According to Sally Kneidel breastfeeding can help in this arena too! Sure there are lots of variables and we are responsible to train our children but hey, if something can help why not put it in the parenting toolbox?

But wait again...there is even MORE!

What about being blessed by God? Does the Bible really say anything about breastfeeding in connection with mothering? Nancy Campbell who started Above Rubies thinks so and I have to agree.

God's plan for women is to be nurturers in the home and nurturers in society.When do we start nurturing? At the moment of conception. As soon as we know there is life within our womb, we should begin nurturing and loving the developing baby.

Once the baby is born, we begin nurturing the babe at the breast. God created us with breasts to nourish babies. This is His divine plan.

In Exodus 2:9 Pharaoh's daughter said to Moses' mother, "Take this child, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages." I believe God says these same words to every mother as He gives to us the gift of a child. Entailed in these words are the nurturing and training of the child from infancy to
adulthood. But the very first task is to nurse and nourish the baby at the breast. God gave breasts, not only for the beauty of a woman's figure, but to function. When a mother chooses not to nurse her baby, she does so to her own detriment, apart from the fact that her baby does not receive the perfect food that he/she is meant to receive. Breastfeeding is a biological function of our womanhood. We are benefited when we use this function.

(Bold emphasis mine.) Read the rest of the article here.

As any mother knows, breastfeeding while being a natural process takes practice and most mothers need support and help to get started and also to get through the little and not-so-little hurdles that pop up. So a post on the benefits of breastfeeding wouldn't be complete without some links to places that you can receive support and help to successfully breastfeed.

In Australia, the Australian Breastfeeding Association has breastfeeding classes to do before birth, online forums, local support groups and a phone hotline. So, if you are in Australia please please check them out, join them and receive the support that is available. Oh and DO use the hotline. They are more than happy to help and they will NOT judge you for your choices in any way! Promise! To provide breastfeeding information, encouragement and support is what they exist for.

Online there is a myriad of information available.

KellyMom is a site run by a lady in the US but it has a LOT of relevant information and is super helpful. If you're worried about your supply her Enough Milk? fact sheet is reassuring in most cases that YES you do have enough milk!

Nursing by Design is a Christian LiveJournal Community set up to encourage Christian mothers in breastfeeding. Their Top Ten Tips for new mothers is one of the best I've seen around.

YouTube has videos to watch regarding correct attachment of the baby to the breast. Just search for "breastfeeding help".

I think I'd better leave it there. As you may have gathered I'm a fairly passionate breastfeeder/lactivist. However, I will be one of the first to say: there are no rules with breastfeeding and I do not seek to make formula feeding mothers guilty. I merely want to encourage mothers to give it a try and share what a blessing it has been to our family.

Sickies and Secrets!

2007-07-04T21:00:00.000+10:00

What a KER-azy week it's been! Shelby has succumbed to her first fully fledged cold or flu. Not quite sure what but it's been a doozy!

AND she's getting her 12 month old molars!

Quick!

Run and Hide people RUN and HIDE!

But, as I am a good Mummy (sometimes) I didn't run and hide. I have stayed with her through it. I have spent many hours sitting on the couch (aka we watched all of Bridezilla Season 1--DON'T watch it) or sitting in front of the computer holding her, breastfeeding her (yay for breastmilk producing antibodies to help her body fight the germs!) and generally just taking care of her. We are all rather tired but I think she's on the mend. She has lost her voice and if it wasn't so sad I'd be finding her little croaky cries and talking endearing.

In my WWW wanderings I came across what looks to be an awesome recipe site! Top Secret Recipes is a site totally devoted to giving out rip-off recipes for heaps of restaurant food! A lot of the recipes you have to pay US79cents to view and print the recipe but there are quite a few samples! Hmm! Definitely trying some of these once we "get off the couch"!

Hope everyone else has managed to avoid the sickies this winter but if you also have succumbed...please, hire out a decent movie!

Me, Please!!

2007-06-27T09:21:00.001+10:00

Steph at Adventures in BabyWearing is hosting a competition in which some lucky Mummy can win a KimzKreations solarveil water sling!!! What a brilliant way to share the joy the sun and surf with your toddler! :) If you want one feel free to join the competition over there.

Fingerpainting is OH so much fun!

2007-06-24T18:37:00.001+10:00

P.S. All photos on this blog can be seen larger than posted here just by clicking on them.

Soak Your Grains!

2007-06-23T21:55:00.001+10:00

I've been exploring and researching new cooking and nutritional information lately. My favourite book has been Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon. It is a really fascinating read. Sally is expounding the view that a lot of our modern diet and lifestyle has robbed our bodies of lots of nutrients and goodness. She covers many topics but the interesting one that I have been trying to incorporate into my baking is the practice of soaking wholegrains before baking. As we all know we should be eating wholegrain/meal foods over the highly processed practically nutrientless white floured foods. However, when we do that switch people often find that their digestive system just can't handle the grains. Apparently this is because of the phytic acid which is present in all wholegrains! Some grians contain less and some contain more. But a way of neutralising the phytic acid is to soak the grains in an acid medium such as buttermilk, yogurt, or other cultured milk, or in water with whey, lemon juice or vinegar added.

This is a practice that many traditional cultures practiced years ago and some cultures today still practice. It is a cooking practice we have forgotten and/or conveniently left out of our busy lifestyles but it really is an easy practice. It just requires some foreplanning.

So how's this working in my kitchen? Well, now when I have a meal that needs brown rice served with it I just mix 1 cup of brown rice with 2 cups of warm water and whey (thin watery liquid you see on the top of natural yoghurt--VERY good for you!) and then leave it on the stove top in the saucepan until I cook it at dinner time. Rice is a low phytic acid grain and only requires 7 hours of soaking to neutralise. However, with my baked porridge recipe I really should be super prepared and make that recipe 24 hours in advance because oats are the highest phytic acid grain and whilst extremely good for us can be very hard on our digestive system.

So, there you have it! Soak your wholegrains before using!

More information and easy recipes utilising wholegrains can be found at Sue Gregg's website. As a bonus I've also added a yummy wholegrain pancake recipe to my Rachel's Recipes blogpage if you want to try a definitely yummy wholegrain recipe.

Laughing Mummy's Make Healthy Babies!

2007-06-23T18:47:00.000+10:00

FAMED for its restorative powers, it now seems that laughter also helps breast milk to fight skin allergies. Breastfed babies with eczema experienced milder symptoms if their mothers laughed hours before feeding them, according to a study by Hajime Kimata at the Moriguchi-Keijinkai Hospital in Osaka, Japan. He showed breastfeeding mothers either a feature length Charlie Chaplin movie or bland footage of weather information, and took samples of breast milk at regular intervals afterwards. Two milk feeds later, he also measured their babies' allergic reactions to dust mites and latex. Those infants whose mothers had laughed had markedly reduced reactions (Journal of Psychosomatic Research, vol 62, p 699). All participating babies and some of the mothers suffered from mild atopic eczema - the most common type. Kimata also found significantly higher levels of melatonin in the laughing mothers' milk. The hormone is associated with relaxation, and levels are reduced in people with eczema."It would be good to investigate if 15 minutes of laughter a day can reduce allergies in mothers and infants in the long term," says Michael Miller of the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore, who studies the effect of laughter on heart disease.

--Issue 2608 of New Scientist magazine, 18 June 2007, page 23

What a quote!

2007-06-23T08:36:00.000+10:00

"It is a foolish woman who expects her husband to be to her that which only Jesus Christ Himself can be: always ready to forgive, totally understanding, unendingly patient, invariably tender and loving, unfailing in every area, anticipating every need, and making more than adequate provision. Such expectations put a man under an impossible strain."
--Ruth Bell Graham

So true and so challenging.

More Ruth Graham quotes can be found in this post:

Young Ladies Christian Fellowship: Following her man and her God

Sitting in the strangest places....

2007-06-22T22:05:00.000+10:00

Straddling the shower ledge and reading her bath book....

Kicked the toys out so she can sit in it....

....funny child!

Smart Girl!

2007-06-19T15:56:00.000+10:00

Shelby & I just took a quick jaunt around the corner to the Post Office and then across the road to pick up a much needed chocolate and licorice supply for me!

Anyway, Shelby was charming the lady at the General Store as I paid for said chocolate supply and we were chatting about how much she's grown and changed over the past year. Then the lady says to me, "She's a very smart girl!" I was a little puzzled at this exclamation since Shelby hadn't really done much beyond play coy and give a smile or two. Don't worry the lady explained and it really is amusing.

But first let me tell you that Shelby has a double crown in her hair. It has been the source of much amusement as when Shelby's hair was much shorter it would stick straight up at the back. It still has a little tuft that sticks up but because it's longer it isn't so crazy looking.

Ok, back to the story, apparently, in China if someone has a double crown they are said to be very smart! So, there we go, when Shelby gets high scores on exams we shall know why....her double crown! :)

Shelby is ONE!

2007-06-18T12:07:00.000+10:00

Matt & I are the parents of a one year old toddler! It seems a little bit crazy to say that but it's true! Shelby is mastering walking at an astronomical rate. One week ago she had taken a total of 5 steps in a row and here she is already spending 75% of her time on her feet practicing her walking. It seems a little insane but exciting to watch her. She is so pleased with herself!

And yes Shelby turned 12 months or 1 year old last Wednesday. She enjoyed her birthday cake and being sung to as you can see. Below are a few bonus photos of her unwrapping and playing with some of her presents.

Vaccinations

2007-06-17T19:54:00.000+10:00

Okay so it might seem like jumping into the deep end before I learn how to swim but it's relevant and up-to-date info so I'm going to post it. *Holds breath and jumps*

Here's a link to what I think is a great article to make one think about how much we truly do know about vaccinations and what we're pumping into our children's bodies at an astronomical rate.

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2007/06/15/couricandco/entry2934107.shtml?source=search_blog

I believe that every parent should be fully informed about the pros and cons of getting their children vaccinated and then make a decision based upon that information. For some the information will motivate them to vaccinate, while for others they may delay the vaccinations or for some they won't get any. I'd rather that everyone think about this more fully before rushing off to get them done though. It could save heartache down the road.

As a completely pragmatic example my family has a history of auto-immune disease in it. And my sister is deaf in one ear because of the measles that she caught....FROM the vaccination. Anecdotal but enough to make us (Matt & I) pause and think and consider before doing anything to our(meaning Shelby & subsequent) children.

New Blog

2007-06-17T17:31:00.000+10:00

Well, I thought about it and since Casa De Amor is supposed to be a joint blogging adventure that my husband is really not all that keen to join me on I thought it would be best to let it RIP and move on to newer and higher ground. ;-) So, yes, this is the higher ground...no snide comments please!!

I guess this will really just be a mish-mash of comments on my life, life in general as a parent, wife, woman, Christian etc. Hopefully I won't just be talking to myself and if I am...so be it. :)

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2007-06-01T21:29:00.000+10:00

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