New rules

For 4 years I've been feeding Gus what ever he wants for dinner. Nuggets, frankfurters, plain pasta, with a small piece of broccoli or cucumber to appease the veg gods. This has been working for him. Of late it has been working for me less. Gus' iron levels are sickeningly low and lets face it he's 5 now and can do with a little more variety in his diet.

So Sunday night the new regime was brought in.

No yelling - Children or Parents

No smacking.

Mum will serve everyone a reasonable portion of the same meal.

Everyone will eat a reasonable portion of said meal.

Bread and butter are the alternative when a reasonable portion is less than sufficiently satisfying.

Not eating a reasonable portion will result in 'bed time'.

Four days in and we are experiencing a level of success that, quite frankly, I thought was not going to be possible in such a short time.

Tonight Gus ate 1 whole ladelful of vegetable soup. I wont kid you there was much discussion about how he didn't like the look of it and how he wasn't hungry and how he was going to go to bed if he had made no effort to eat/taste the soup before everyone else was finished their meal. About 2 3rd's of the way through the meal Gus broke and tasted the soup. Hallelujah. One small bite deserves another and before too long the meal was finished.

Gus is stubborn but most of it's for show. While he was eating he would make faces to show his apparent discomfort in eating the soup but there was a definate twinkle in his eye that told me it was just for show. Cheeky.

Summer Fruits

The holidaze have been a real treat.

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I have had time to regenerate and reflect. The regeneration part has worked so well that I am fealing more energetic and more positive about me in my body. Feeling positive has definately been aided by a successful first week on the scales. I lost 2.2 kg this week. And thankfully birthdays have never bothered me so turning 34 last Sunday was nothing but a reason to get together with family and celebrate. Good times.

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The time for reflection has been positive too. I've been inspired by a friend who writes at 7 cherubs to be more conscious of my relationship with my children. I've been making some plans (nothing concrete yet) to make time for relationship/family building activites. I'll let you know how it goes.

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Now we are on the count down to the school term and I'm beginning to panic that there are so many things that I haven't made time for and now have to find a way to fit them into the last two weeks of the holidays. It's a good thing I have a new found energy. Mutiple play dates and morning teas are on the agenda.

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I'll be in touch.

Cheeky Chops

A couple months ago Zac was interested in taking some picture. This is not the amazing thing because he often enjoys photo journaling his life. What made this photo session memorable was that Gus and Poppy were so amenable to being models. Gus became especially creative with his posses. I've made some of the better pictures from this day into a collage.

Watching my weight

I (Mick and I) got an awesome treadmill for Christmas. I've totally been working it but maybe I've also been working the Christmas cheer just little bit harder.

So now I'm watching my weight with the help of the inter-web-thingy.

I signed up for Weight Watchers and now we can all watch my weight together.

Go team Dee!

Women of letters

Graphic Art by Tara Nielsen

Women of letters is an inspiring forum that is bringing the art of letter writing to a new audience.


There is something intimate about letter writing. Somehow it is easier to convey tone in a letter than an e-mail/SMS/update/twitter. Maybe it's because the medium is different and the sense of personal sacrifice is inscribed in each word that is painstakingly placed with the pen. Then there is the commitment to fold, seal, address and post the letter that says "My thoughts on this matter are valuable and should be given due consideration."


When was the last time you thought enough to write a letter and post it?


I once wrote one to my father. I knew not where he was and I had come to a point in my life where I was more than a little bit tired of carrying baggage that I had been constantly repacking 'just in case'. So I wrote to him and put a stamp on it no address, return or otherwise, and posted it. Cathartic!!

I like to think of blogging as a sister to letter writing for the time and consideration spent in editing topic and content are genetically similar. Posting may not be as time consuming to the blogger but it is as equally deliberted as that moment when you let go of the letter at the post box. You know, just before you let go and send it on it's way you think "Is this right?"

sick

I have a pet peeve.

I can't stand it when people say they have the flu when clearly they have a mild to moderate cold or sinus trouble.

I have another pet peeve.

It bugs me that I can get through a whole year of work with minor illnesses that don't justify days let alone a day in bed but on the first night/day of holidays I'm so sick I just want to lie in bed all day.

I think I might have a severe cold or maybe even the flu.

two

Two months until Christmas. I'm looking forward to School holidays, beach days and balmy nights.