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Tag: laugh

  • Grateful for Cinderella

    Grateful for Cinderella

    girl with tiara

    THIS week I’m grateful for:

    • Playing Cinderella: Princess Ella finally allowed me to play Cinderella during our make believe games this week. I always get lumped with the Ugly Step Sister role. I was so grateful she felt I could handle the lead. Then I realised the real motive behind it. “Now, sweep the floor, Cinders. Then give me a foot rub. Now do the washing’’. Ah, right. I see.
    • A HUGE giveaway coming: Some of the brands I’ve loved during the past four years as the girls have gone through babyhood are going to be featured in a pretty special giveaway on Monday. I feel so fortunate they were keen to work with me.
    • Cheap Halloween costumes: After referencing all those wonderful people in last week’s post who inspired me to get crafty for Princess Ella’s Halloween costume, I stumbled across a cheap witches outfit – complete with broom – in one of those cheap and nasty shops this week. So I bought it. I know. I’m lazy. But she loves it. So much so, she slept in it Wednesday night. Thanking goodness she didn’t wake during at midnight and catch a glimpse of herself in her floor-to-ceiling wardrobe mirror.
    girl dressed as witch
    The morning after…

    I’m joining with Maxabella Loves to share what I’m grateful for.

  • Grateful for pigs breath

    Grateful for pigs breath

    cheeky smile by girl
    Ella's first day of pre-kindy photo. Hmmm…

    THIS week I’m grateful for:

    • Pigs Breath: After The Bloke in The Shed completed the Skilled Burnie Ten in 1 hour and 18 minutes last Sunday, we celebrated with a dinner at the local. We were wondering why Princess Ella was downing his calamari rings so fast, till we realised she thought they were curly fries from“pigs breath’’. I’m just grateful she got a good serving of seafood.
    • First day of pre-kindy: I could write a whole post on why Ella’s first 1.5-hour pre-kindy session today was so enjoyable for her. Ella was more than excited to go to “big girl school’’ and it was made all that much better when three of her childcare friends were in her class. That is music to a nervous mum’s ears. It seems school holds just a little bit of magic for her too when, prior to arriving, she started talking about her teacher who she met during the interview process. “Miss X can fly sometimes, can’t she, Mum?’’. Ah no, I think you might have her mistaken for the lady with the umbrella and flower in her hat.
    • Halloween help: Thanks to my Twitter friends (most of which I’ve never met but are always there when I need them), I have plenty of ideas for Ella’s Halloween costume for childcare on Monday.

    I’m joining with Maxabella Loves to share what I’m grateful for.

     

  • Thanks for the mammaries, Mum: how to introduce cow’s milk to a one-year-old

    Thanks for the mammaries, Mum: how to introduce cow’s milk to a one-year-old

     

    Girl in children's kitchen
    Holly making herself a drink in her big sister's kitchen.

    MY WEAPONS of mass lactation look more like shrinking violets after a year of being sucked dry by Baby Holly. It’s the signal for her to transition from one old cow (me) onto a new cow (shiny plastic bottle in the fridge). Yes, goodbye free boobie juice.

    That’s not to say I’m giving up breastfeeding just yet. We’ll be milking it for a while longer – pardon the pun. However, it is time to introduce the “other white milk’’ – aka, cow’s milk.

    So far, it’s been a slow process. The first couple of times Holly wasn’t going to have a bar of not having her usual mid morning bazookas. She sprayed the cow’s milky goodness all over my face. Take that, Mum. This is despite having had cow’s milk on her cereal each morning for a while now.

    Yesterday, I recalled a trick I used when Ella was weaning and put the warmed milk into a baby bottle instead of her sippy cup. It worked. She’s now on the road to saying goodbye to the best milk dispenser she’ll ever have. Ah yes, thanks for the mammaries, Mum.

    Here are some other things I know about introducing cow’s milk to a one-year-old:

    • Tommee Tippee discovera Cups
      They're also good for chewing on!

      Introduce it gradually. What worked with Ella was dropping one feed per week. This has multiple benefits – your “girls’’ have time to adjust, it prevents them becoming engorged and the child’s tummy gradually becomes used to the richer cow’s milk.

    • If they refuse the milk, try giving it to them in a different cup or bottle. Although, our aim is to get Holly back onto her cup as soon as possible. But whatever works to start with.
    • Give your child pasteurised full-fat cow’s milk until aged two, by which stage they can go onto reduced fat milk.
    • We warm the milk in a container of hot water so it’s closer to the temperature of breast milk.
    • Offer the milk AFTER meals as cow’s milk is quite filling and could lead to a lesser amount of solids consumed.
    • There are lots of other ways to help your child meet their calcium intake requirements, including cheese, yoghurt, baked beans and tinned salmon. Variety is key.
    • Some children may be lactose intolerant. It’s best to see an expert if this is the case.
    • **UPDATE**: Have just seen the child health nurse this morning and she suggested giving Holly the milk straight from a glass. If she refuses, take it away and try again the next time.

    I’m no expert, so if you want to learn more, I’d suggest you check out Milk Intake on the Huggies website or the Australian Breastfeeding Association.

    What are your tips for introducing cow’s milk to a one year old?

    Linking up Shae from Yay for Home’s Things I Know.

  • Office gossip coming to a screen near you

    Office gossip coming to a screen near you

    girl on iphoneTHE other night on my personal Facebook page there was a bit of harmless office gossip going on. It was actually more a bit of fun than gossip, because it was instigated by the person the gossip was about.

    As the conversation grew, so did the inclusion of ex workmates – me included. It ended up being more like an online reunion. During the conversation, I added the comment: “Ah, I so miss office gossip. Ella whispers secrets in my ear, but they’re nowhere near as interesting!’’

    It got me thinking. While I wouldn’t change what I’m doing now for all the world (although going through the height of sickness this week did have me questioning it once or twice), some days I miss the banter that goes on in the office. The: “Did you hear she’s leaving?’’, “Did you see the size of that engagement ring?’’ or “Did you know he had a love child stashed away?’’ Oh sorry, that was Kyle Sandilands. Wrong office.

    Don’t get me wrong, I have some incredible Mum PR clients who I speak to regularly on the phone or via Skype. And because we’re all sleep and conversation deprived mums, we do tend to natter a little longer than the usual office coffee break. So in that respect, I’m pretty blessed.

    Really though, can anything compared to conversations like this one with Ella yesterday after hearing an ambulance siren down town?

    Ella: “Quick Mum, let’s follow and find out what’s happening’’.

    Me: “It’s OK darling, we don’t need to follow them today.’’

    Ella (pulling out her pretend phone); “Yes, hello? I’m on my iPhone. I thought you might like to know I heard eee-awwws. Yes, we’re on our way. To your stations.’’

    Yes, she’ll always be the daughter of an Editor and someone who watches way too much Octanauts.

    Do you miss the (harmless) office gossip now you’re a stay-at-home or work-at-home mum?  Or is there something about your old workplace you miss more?

  • Pink or blue for you?

    Pink or blue for you?

    My pink baby, Holly

    THIS is a post from the archives. However, it’s a question Princess Ella still asks now, so I thought it might give you all a giggle.

    ‘’MUM, can we take Holly back and get a boy one?’’

    When Princess Ella uttered these words last week, my body went stiff, like someone had jabbed me with the oxytocin needle again to expel the placenta.

    My answer? No way.

    It’s not because of all the months of chasing my husband around the bedroom like a cheetah chases a limping gazelle (yes, remember that scene from the Mum’s The Word column?).

    Nor because of the spewing in those early months of being up the duff, that reminds me of how I used to spend New Year’s Eve.

    It also has nothing to do with feeling like an ant pushing out an elephant at the final hurdle. OK, so maybe it has just a little something to do with that last bit.

    No, the real reason is I’m quite partial to pink. Or, more correctly, I’ve got no idea how you go about dealing with boy bits. Yeah, yeah, I know, I’ve been preggers twice, so I must have some idea.

    Princess Ella, on the other hand, seems to have a real fascination with ‘’scoody doodies’’ – her term, not ours. Apparently her friend Harry at child care has a scoody doodie.

    ‘’But he’s only got a little scoody doodie,’’ she says. Note: Harry is not his real name in fear of bruising the pride of his father.

    For the record, girls, it’s been determined, have ‘’front bottoms’’. Oh, how boring. We’ve already got one bottom. No wonder she wants a brother.

    So, what about you? Are you more partial to pink or blue? And what names have your children given their (usually not so) private bits?

  • Grateful for birthday wishes… even if it’s for a unicorn

    Grateful for birthday wishes… even if it’s for a unicorn

    ALTHOUGH I posted about having a faeces of a week, I actually do have a few things to be grateful for:

    • Unicorn birthday wishes: Yet another inspiring conversation with Princess Ella this week: Ella: “Mum, can I have a unicorn for my birthday?’’ Me: “And where would we buy one of those?’’ Ella: “From a unicorn shop, silly. They have lots of different sorts of unicorns there.’’ Me: “ Thanks. That’s good to know.’’ I am now on the hunt for the unicorn shop. If you have directions, please pass them on.
    • 111 people are talking about my Facebook page: I’ll admit, I had no idea what “111 people are talking about this’’ meant when I saw it tucked under my Facebook profile banner. Exactly what is the “this’’ they’re talking about? I thought I should ask someone. That “someone’’ was Facebook people. And they had an answer. Apparently they’re not ALL talking about me, some are just clicking the “share’’ or “like’’ button – lazy, I say, darn lazy – but none-the-less, I’m in 111 people’s minds this week. Scary.
    • Birthday presents: Holly doesn’t fully understand that while it was her first birthday on Monday, it was Ella who opened all her presents. I’m sure this will be a different scenario in 12 months time. But let’s not go there just yet. For now, let her bask in the glory of her li’l mountain of wrapping paper. Which was actually Christmas paper, but let’s not go there either.

    I’m joining with  Maxabella Loves to share what I’m grateful for.