Wordless Wednesday: Making me smile

A few things making me smile this week:

Drive-through coffee. Not the best coffee in the world, but the most convenient!

Sunny weather! I can wear my red shoes without socks or stockings.

Come on... how could you not smile?

Mr Cheeky gives the best cuddles. (Apologies for the bad photo)

Friendly neighbours

A favourite book. We thought it was lost, but now it is found!

Our new deck and doors almost done. Please ignore the rubbish in the yard, the builder's tools and the obvious need of some paint work.

A new blog - all about living as a Christian. I'm working with Jess, Deb, Lisa and Alyce. We start tomorrow

I'm joining in Wordless Wednesday at My Little Drummer Boys

What is making you smile this week?

I love to hear your opinions. Please click on the title of this blog post if you would like to view comments or add your own comment.

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Enjoying books with kids

For anyone in Australia who missed it, last week was book week. As well as being book week, it also happened to be Speech Pathology week. (I'm not really sure if this was a coincidence or if they are usually designed to coincide? One of my Speechie friends may be able to help me out here...?) The theme of Speech Pathology week this year was "Literacy for Life", with a focus on promoting the specialised knowledge of Speech Pathologists in all areas of communication - including literacy.

It just so happens that I heard even more about books and literacy over the weekend when I attended a Growing Faith conference (and I will no doubt write more about this conference later). One seminar I attended was Immersing your Child in the Wonderful World of Literature, run by Sally Lloyd-Jones - an author of both Christian and secular books for children. Sally was reflecting on her experiences writing, reading and sharing books with small children. 

In (late) recognition of book week and Speech Pathology/ literacy week, I thought I'd share a few tips from an author on sharing books with children:

1) Do your homework

Childrens' books are designed to be read aloud. According to Sally Lloyd-Jones, half the work is done by the author of a kids' book, and the other half by the reader. It is the job of the reader to enhance the writing and pictures. The reader brings out the language of the book, helping to create emotion, anticipation and enjoyment of the book. This cannot be done well if the reader is unfamiliar with the book. While this is not always possible (e.g. when your child picks up a book to read at the library), Sally believes the best shared reading occurs when the reader knows the material.

2) Create anticipation
Sally talked about ways to have children begging you to read to them. These techniques can be used prior to reading the book, or even part-way through, particularly if you think you are losing your listener's attention. Some things she discussed were minimising preconceptions (e.g. boys not wanting to read a pink book - "It's for girls". Sally might say something like "You probably think this book is just for girls... but it's not. There is a monster in this book"), using reverse psychology (e.g.  "I don't think we should read the next part of this book - it is too scary..., or too funny..." etc... gets kids saying "no, let's read it... I won't be scared!"), and asking questions ("What do you think this book is about?", "What might happen next?")

3) Get on your child's level
Both physically and emotionally. The physical aspect is probably more relevant in a classroom or group setting. Most parent-child reading occurs in close proximity. Being in close proximity to the child/ren you are reading to not only allows them to see better, but allows the reader to engage with the emotions and reactions, monitor listening or distraction levels and be "one of the kids"... 

4) Be on your child's side
Although it is recommended that you are familiar with the book you are reading to you children, you don't need to make your familiarity obvious. Explore the book together with your child. Ask questions such as "I wonder what she will do now?", react to what is happening in the book the way a child does (e.g. look at that pig getting all dirty in the mud - yuck!).

5) Don't summarise the plot. Read the text.
This is something my husband and I are guilty of - particularly when reading some more wordy books with tired toddlers! Sally Lloyd-Jones was quite adamant about this one. The author of a kids' book has put a lot of time and thought into the language they have used in the text. By summarising, you miss the rich language, the rhythm and repetition (and possibly rhyme) of the text. It is also a bit of an insult to the author! If you  really feel the text is too lengthy to read, Sally (as an author) said she would prefer to see the reader simply exploring, talking and asking questions about the pictures in the book, rather than providing a plot summary.


6) Don't be afraid of rich language or "adult" topics
Another thing Sally was quite passionate about. We do not need to be afraid of "big words". Children enjoy hearing the occasional word they don't understand. It not only creates more interest and challenge, but it helps to build a rich, literate vocabulary.

It is also important to tell the truth (in an age-appropriate way) to children. According to Sally, there is rarely a need to censor topics such as death, sickness, arguments, as long as they are explored appropriately.

7) Explore the pictures
Many kids' books have wonderful illustrations, with interesting details to explore. Discussing the pictures can be done in addition to, or instead of reading the text. A technique that some Speech Pathologists and teachers use is the "Five-finger strategy". The five-finger strategy is a simple reminder to parents to comment on pictures as well as to question. It is natural inclination for us to ask questions of our children. By commenting on pictures, parents can offer rich, descriptive language models. The five finger technique recommends a ratio of 4 comments to 1 question (4 comments - fingers, 1 question - thumb). On each page of the picture book you offer 4 comments (e.g. "That pig is rolling in the thick, oozy mud", "Those little piglets look like they would like to join in", "Look at the pig's muddy trotters"...) before asking a question... (e.g. "What will the pig's mummy say?")

What other tips would you offer? How do you make shared reading time more enjoyable?

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They said it better... #2

My dad with his grand-daughters

They said it better is a list of links I've enjoyed looking at over the week. This week I decided to focus on some Father's Day links, just in case you are like me, and have no idea where to start with Father's Day...

1) Be a fun mum has 3 lists for Father's Day: Father's Day craft ideas, Father's Day card ideas, and Father's Day gift ideas

2) Check out The Organised Housewife's collection of handmade father's day gifts

3) Aspiring Mum also has some Father's Day Gift Ideas

So, now I have a bit of inspiration for Matt - I just have to get organised and get something happening... My dad will actually be overseas on Father's day... so I have a bit more time to think on that one.

 

What are you getting your dads (or your children's dads) this Father's Day?

(I love to hear your opinions. Please click on the title of this blog post if you would like to view comments or add your own comment.)

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Kids' craft: Foam box garden

A couple of weeks ago, I put a question on the Facebook page asking for inspiration. My father-in-law had provided us with a couple of foam packaging boxes, thinking we might be able to do something with them. 

Thanks to everyone who made suggestions.We decided to use the boxes to make a "garden" (similar to Megan's suggestion). The kids had so much fun with it that I thought I should share the idea. You can probably get similar pieces of solid foam from reverse garbage, or from packaging.

Step 1:

We painted and decorated the boxes...

I recommended that the kids use green, but they weren't interested in authenticity!

The roller helped us get all-over paint coverage

 Step 2:
We stuck paddle-pop sticks into the piece of foam to create the stems for our flowers...

 Step 3:

We (actually, mostly me) twisted coloured pipe cleaners to make flowers. You can get quite fancy and shape petals etc, but most of ours were just round shapes. Then we stuck the "flowers" to the paddle-pop sticks with sticky tape.

Step 4:

The kids were having so much fun sticking things into the foam, so we decided to make grass too. I cut some green pipe cleaners into small pieces for Miss 3 and Mr 2 to push into the foam.

Step 5:

Miss 3 decided to add some "vines" by sticking long pipe cleaners into the foam box. Her "garden" became more of a "jungle".

 

Step 6:

We admired our finished products...

What have you been creating this week?

I love to hear your opinions. Please click on the title of this blog post if you would like to view comments or add your own comment.

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Wordless Wednesday: For the grandparents

Check out more "Wordless Wednesday" posts over at My Little Drummer Boys

(Please click on the title of this blog post if you would like to view comments or add your own comment).

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The pain of a single pink line

Image from here

I have recently been put on thyroid medication. 

Apparently it is not uncommon for women to have an under active thyroid following pregnancy and breastfeeding (something to do with the hormones). It is therefore less surprising that I would have an under active thyroid following 4 years of continuous pregnancy and/or breastfeeding.

I was chatting with a friend, who had previously used this medication, about the rumours that thyroid medication would make me lose weight. (This would be a not-at-all-unpleasant side effect!) Her reply; "I didn't really lose any weight... but it will improve your fertility"

We both laughed. And my friend (who now has two children) said; "Isn't it great that we can laugh about that now?" Because, a little over 4 years ago, fertility was no laughing matter - for either of us.

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Six years ago (ish), I stopped using contraception. I expected to fall pregnant fairly quickly - as many of our friends had done. 

I bought a box of pregnancy tests. I used them both in the first month - the first two single pink lines. The second, third and fourth months brought more of the same - single pink lines. Then I started to get a bit nervous. 

I was proactive. I learnt all about tracking my cycle and taking temperatures. I printed out graphs from the Internet. I kept a thermometer and a pen on my bedside table. I marked a little x on a graph every morning. After a while I didn't really need to buy any more pregnancy tests. I knew that a dip in my temperature meant no pregnancy. Then the period.

After almost 12 months, we saw a fertility specialist. He sent me for the first round of blood tests. This confirmed what the temperatures had been telling me that month - I was pregnant! 6 weeks later, (at what I thought was 10 weeks pregnant), I wasn't pregnant anymore. A few smears of blood. Two invasive ultrasounds. No heartbeat. Lots of tears. Expensive surgery to get an empty womb.

Another 6 months passed - more temperatures, more dips, more periods, more single pink lines. More tears. Prayer.

We returned to the fertility specialist. After a couple of thousand dollars in medical bills and several hours of tests, we had no real answers. I was booked in for a laparoscopy and "diagnosed" with mild-moderate endometriosis, which was removed. We tried some acupuncture and went on a crazy diet. For about 6 weeks I was dairy free, gluten free, sugar free, soy free... hungry!

For many who suffer with infertility, their story ends here. There are some who will never have children at all. Or, who will have only one child when their desire was for more. Or, who need years and years of intervention. Some will continue to grieve, even as they almost-accept.

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I am thankful that our story didn't end there. Sometime towards the end of the crazy six weeks in 2007, I was pregnant with Miss 3. When Miss 3 was 5 months old, I was pregnant with Mr 2. When Mr 2 was 7 months old, I was pregnant with Miss 8 months. 

The amazing blessing of hindsight. A little over 4 years ago, I wondered if I would have 1 child, let alone 3. Now when I think about the almost 2 years of heartache, I remember what a blessing it is to have my children. I can now laugh at the suggestion of my medication which will "improve my fertility".

Appearances are deceiving. To look at our family now, you would never suspect infertility. Infertility comes in all shapes and sizes.

(I love to hear your opinions. Please click on the title of this blog post if you would like to view comments or add your own comment).

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Recipe of the week - Lamb and Vegetable Soup

(Image borrowed from here)

Another delicious meal from the Aldi cookbook. This is listed in the lunch recipe section, however makes for a hearty dinner recipe too. I have served this to one set of my in-laws, with rave reviews, as well as to my parents, brother and sister-in-law, who also enjoyed it. I have made a few changes from the original recipe (the feta cheese was my own addition). You can easily play with this recipe (e.g. different vegetables, using leftover roast lamb rather than chops, using 2 cans chickpeas instead of cannellini beans...) without changing the overall taste too much. Enjoy!

Lamb and Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:

1 soup pack (or approximately 1 onion, 1 potato, 1 carrot, 1 turnip, 1 parsnip and 1 stalk celery)

750g lamb chops

1 tbs olive oil

2 tsp minced garlic

1L beef stock

1 can (425 g) tomato soup

1 can (400g) cannellini beans 

1 can (400g) chickpeas

1 pkt (120g) baby spinach

Salt and Pepper

Crumbled Feta cheese to serve

Method:

Peel and finely chop all vegetables, keeping onion separate

Trim fat from lamb chops. Heat oil over medium-high heat and cook chops until well-browned and cooked through.

Remove chops from the pan, dice the meat and discard bones.

Lower heat and add onion and garlic to the pan. Cook for 2 minutes until soft.

Add beef stock, tomato soup, cannellini beans and chickpeas, and diced lamb to the saucepan, with the chopped vegetables.

Turn heat to high, bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered for 30 minutes.

Just before serving, add the baby spinach and stir until just wilted.

Season with salt and pepper

Serve with 2 tbs of crumbled feta on top

Have you found any good recipes this week?

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They said it better...

I spend a bit of time reading blogs. And I learn a lot.

Each weekend (or maybe not every weekend - don't hold me to it), I will start posting a couple of links that I have enjoyed reading during the week. I will try to include some variety - e.g. a recipe, something serious, something funny, to cater for everyone.

Here are some "they said it betters" from this week:

Kids
Erin (a former primary teacher) posted on Introducing number activities with preschoolers

Justin from Happy Families blog (a new discovery for me) wrote in response to my question on Influencing young children without coercion

Nicole wrote on dealing with challenging behaviour in preschoolers

(I'm still thinking about those last 2 posts and will probably write more about them sometime)

Funny
Ben's blog always has me laughing. Loved this post on visitor's books

Help for Africa
A US based blog appeal for relief in Africa


Have you read anything interesting this week?

I love to hear your opinions. Please click on the title of this blog post if you would like to view comments or add your own comment.

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Maths for toddlers #2 - Puzzles

My parents bought this beautiful puzzle at Freemantle Markets (in Perth) when they were on holidays a few months ago. 

Puzzles are not only great for fine motor skill development, but as we work on this puzzle together, we are practicing:

• size concepts and relative sizes (big, small, larger, smaller, too big, not big enough)
• colour concepts and shades (darker, lighter, light blue, dark blue)
• numbers and counting (practicing one-to-one counting, not just reciting numbers)
• comparing numbers (which number is bigger/ smaller?, which number comes next/ first? Is there another number between 2 and 4?)
• recognising written numbers (each piece has a number written on it)

It is a perfect maths activity for toddlers and preschoolers.

What/ how have your kids been learning this week?

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The joy in creation

After I posted a couple of days ago on the famine in East Africa, I was struck down by writer's block. Actually, it wasn't exactly writer's block... I've got plenty of things to post about. It is just that they all seem so superficial after reflecting on and praying for the crisis in Africa. 

I couldn't bring myself to post photos of my gorgeous, smiling, healthy children for "Wordless Wednesday". I certainly didn't want to post an update on our house renovations. I didn't feel like I should post about play or language development. I didn't even want to write about kids, or my husband or Bible reflection. Although these last things are important, they just seemed not to compare with death, suffering and starvation.

Then yesterday, at my Bible study group, our pastor's wife was telling us about a conference she attended. (This was relevant to the Bible passage (2 Corinthians 4:7-5:10) we were studying, though right now I can't remember how...!) One speaker at the conference was a minister who had recently enjoyed long-service leave. During that time he had taken his family overseas for a 6 or 8 week holiday. In question time, he was asked to justify that decision, considering the financial outlay etc. Perhaps the implication was that a pastor should be spending his money on ministry or charity instead?

In his response, the pastor expressed concern that we Christians tend to go to one of two extremes. Either we can:

• Love the world and money so much that we don't look any different to those around us.We spend money on ourselves the same way that everyone else does, and with little thought. We have the same goals as "everyone else" (live in a comfortable house in a comfortable suburb, send our kids to private schools, travel, enjoy culture and food, pamper ourselves...)

or

• Remove all joy from living. We refuse to enjoy any good things that God has given us. We agonise over every decision to spend money on ourselves, or have time to ourselves, or enjoy a hobby outside of ministry. We make a big deal of sacrificing ourselves and judge others whose decisions are different to ours. (I'm referring to decisions which are not clearly presented in the Bible - e.g. how many children you have, whether a mum should spend time and money getting her nails done, whether it is acceptable to spend money on travel... etc) This can easily turn into legalism (living by "rules" that are not given by God).

I have the tendency to leap between the 2 extremes. I deny myself in some areas, while indulging myself in others! But when I read about the crisis in Africa, I definitely tend straight to the second extreme. I feel guilty that I could be enjoying so much, and be blessed with so much, when others suffer. I feel guilty that I am thinking about how to raise my children, and what games to play with them, when other people are watching their children die. I feel guilty posting a delicious recipe when others don't have anything to eat. 

I need to remember that God has given us our (relative) wealth. We have a responsibility to use it wisely and to be generous. We are not to trust in our wealth. But, we can also enjoy what God has given us, and the lives he has given us - to His glory.

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant, nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment 1 Timothy 6:17

Do you struggle with one of the two "extremes"? Do you feel guilty for how God has blessed you? How do you enjoy God's blessings while avoiding putting hope in your wealth?

I love to hear your opinions. Please click on the title of this blog post if you would like to view comments or add your own comment.

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Can anything be done?

Have you ever listened to one of your children crying? And not been sure how to stop it? Or not had the resources to stop it?

Could you imagine hearing your child crying with hunger and having nothing to give? Or bringing your baby to your breast, knowing that you were so malnourished yourself, that there was nothing there? What about watching your child move beyond crying, to the listless, hopeless, exhaustion of severe malnutrition? Or  abandoning hope that your child would see their next birthday?

This is reality for millions of parents in Ethiopia and Somalia:

Image from here

Image from here

Do these images tug at our hearts, or our consciences? Are they too familiar? Or at the same time, too distant? 

Does our night of sleeplessness, or our credit card debt, or our lack of fashionable clothes to wear, or the lack of chocolate in the house... fade into insignificance? Or, do we push these images to the back of our minds and go back to complaining about how small our houses are?

One of Miss 3's memory verses at the moment says:

He has shown you O man what is good. What does the Lord require of you? To act justly and love mercy and walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8

In the face of suffering: how can I act justly? Should I just conclude that I can't make a difference and move on? In the face of suffering: how can I show mercy? Should I go back to preparing our family's satisfying dinner with a quiet sigh of desperation? In the face of suffering: how can I walk humbly with my God? Should I give myself a pat on the back for writing a blog post about Africa and conclude that I have "done my bit"?

In the face of suffering, I can:

Care

The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern (Proverbs 29:7)

Pray Fervently

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer (Romans 12:12)

Give Generously

She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy (Proverbs 31:20)

Contact organisations such as Unicef, World Vision, The Red Cross, CARE Australia, TEAR Australia and Oxfam.

Stand up for justice

Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy (Proverbs 31: 8-9) 

Wait patiently and with hope

Never again will they hunger... For the Lamb at the centre of the throne will be their shepherd... and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes (Revelation 7:16-17)  

Other great articles:

Fixing Famine: What will it take?

Deb (Aspiring Mum)'s post: Perspective

Jess (Diary of a SAHM)'s post: Third World Problems should be #First World Problems
Lisa (Mummy's Undeserved Blessings)'s post: What if it was your child starving?

I love to hear your opinions. Please click on the title of this blog post if you would like to view comments or add your own comment.

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Recording and Organising Memories with Kids

Sometimes the days at home with little ones seem to drag on and on... and on. But everyone who has been there and done that seems to agree that this time of life will fly past, and we will really miss it when it is gone. I can already see it happening. I can't quite believe that our big girl is 3. It seems like yesterday that it was just Matt and I.

There are so many cute and funny and fun moments that I treasure being at home with our little ones (as well as the moments I probably would rather forget!). Although, I can't remember every detail, I want to try and record many memories as I can. I am also striving to make sure that Miss Chilled (#3 child) isn't going to be left with 2 photos to represent her whole childhood, while her big sister has every minute of her life recorded! 

Here are a few things I (try to) do to record some of our family memories: 

1) A photo a day

Even if we are just at home, I keep my camera at hand and try to get at least one photo of our day.

2) A video a month

At the end of each month (and other times if I remember), I get out the video camera and try to get some footage of our kids. I am particularly interested (being a Speech Pathologist) at getting a bit of talking on camera, so I can observe how our kids are changing and growing.

3) Taking note

I was so much better at this with our first child! I have a notebook with weekly notes recorded for Miss Chatterbox' first 6 months, and monthly notes until her first birthday. I also have lists of words she was using at 12, 15 and 18 months. I actually did almost as well recording Mr. Cheeky's milestones, but this has all gone downhill with baby 3. I wrote a couple of things for her at 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and recently at 8 months... oops.

There is nothing pretty about these notebooks, or these records, but at least the information is there, and maybe one day I can use it to create something pretty.

4) Funny phrases/ anecdotes

A lot of these get forgotten, but I try to record a couple of funny incidents in my notebook, or even put it in a status on Facebook (I hope that Facebook will always allow access to old updates).

5) Special occasion journals/ photo albums

I had this habit drummed into me as a child, and I resented it back then! On family holidays or other special occasions, I try to keep a bit of a  daily journal of the main events or highlights. This means that we avoid going back to look at photos and thinking, "where was that?" or even, "which child is that?"!

Apart from recording memories, there is also the need to organise these records. I have a lot of work ahead of me in this area, but here are some ideas of good ways to organise memories:

1) Blogging

One motivation for me to start blogging was to have a digital record of (part of) our lives. I like the idea of being able to have photos and text together. If you want to do this, but don't want other people to read/ see your blog there are options for keeping your blog private, or having invited readers only.

2) Photos on computer

Up until recently, our photos were a bit of a mess on the computer. A couple of months ago, I realised that the best way for us to organise photos was in separate folders for each month (e.g. June 2011, May 2008), rather than try to describe the events of each photo.

I also upload all our photos onto http://www.snapfish.com There are other similar websites. I like the idea that our photos are not bound to a single computer, so are protected from a computer crash etc. Another option is of course saving copies onto an external hard drive (we used to do this, but our external hard drive was corrupted and we had to pay a lot to rescue the files from it), or onto CD Rom.

3) Videos on computer 

Again, ours are organised by date, and saved on both our computer and the video camera (we haven't reached our camera's 11 hour limit yet). I have only edited a couple of clips. I am a LONG way behind. I think I am able to upload videos onto Snapfish, but need to look into it a little more. Does anyone know of a good web-based site for saving video (apart from a public site such as You tube)?

4) Ordering Photo books

I like the idea of creating photo books online, and having them printed, rather than using bulky albums. Unfortunately the photo books are quite expensive, and I still have a lot of photos to be compiled and printed. I have to limit myself to printing a couple of photo books every now and then (or maybe ask for them for Christmas/ birthday presents).

Other ideas? How do you make sure you record memories regularly? How do you organise your records/ photos/ videos?

I love to hear your opinions. Please click on the title of this blog post if you would like to view comments or add your own comment.

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Book(s) of the week

This is our kids' bookshelf:

I may have straightened this up a little before taking the photo...

Apart from the shelves, we also have a couple of piles of books around the place:

We have a LOT of kids' books. This is a good thing  (so grandparents etc, don't feel you need to stop buying books for birthdays and Christmas!) But, because we have so many we only tend to rotate between about 10-15 favourites. The others get pushed further to the edges of the shelves, or the bottom of a pile, and are sadly neglected.

This morning I decided upon a strategy to ensure that some of our wonderful kids' books still see the light of day - author or theme of the week. 

So, each week (or thereabouts - I won't be too strict about it), I will pull out a collection of books with either a common author or a common theme. These books will sit separately for the week, and we will choose from that collection for our evening stories and any other shared reading time throughout the day. 

I made it easy for myself to start with. For this coming week, we have chosen Mem Fox. I doubt any of you haven't heard of Mem Fox (except perhaps some non-Aussie readers). She is a prolific and wonderful Aussie kids' author. Here are the Mem Fox books we have at home:

We even managed 2 copies of "Time for Bed"!

Despite owning 7 different Mem Fox books, we are not even close to having all of her work. She has published 36 kids' books.We might even try and get a couple more at the library next week.

As an introduction to our "author of the week", we sat down and read our 7 books this morning. We uncovered a couple of forgotten books, even among the Mem Fox. A couple of the books are perfect for reading to preschoolers, toddlers and babies (Where is the Green Sheep?, Time for Bed). A couple are good because of their rhythm and rhyme, but the subject matter is a little more subtle (The Magic Hat, Shoes from Grandpa). The other 3 are probably intended for a slightly older age group (Wombat Divine, Wilfred Gordan MacDonald Partridge and Whoever you are), but are still enjoyable to read together.

What happens with kids' books at your house? Do you try to rotate your books, or stick to a few favourites?

(I love to hear your opinions. Please click on the title of this blog post if you would like to view comments or add your own comment).

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Lazy day housework

Safe to say this WON'T be happening today

Today is a lazy day. 

The two youngest have snuffly noses, which meant quite a few wake-ups last night.We don't have to leave the house for anything today. We are all wearing tracksuit pants. I am wearing ugg boots. If the weather is good, we will play in the backyard most of the day. If the weather turns, I may even allow the kids to watch more than one hour of TV.

So, I am thinking about lazy day housework. 

This is the bare minimum I can do in a day, to have a rest, but also ensure that I won't be spending the next 3 days playing catch-up.

Here is my "lazy day" housework routine:

• Unload dishwasher (ran last night), clean up breakfast dishes and start reloading dishwasher
• Hang load of washing (ran last night), bring in and fold when dry
• Prepare and clean up lunch and snacks
• Prepare dinner

Erin wrote about her sick day routine here, which is pretty similar.

What is your bare minimum? What can you let wait?

(Click on the title of the blog post to view or add your comment)

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Wordless Wednesday: Good enough to eat

Check out some other wordless posts with Wordless Wednesday at My Little Drummer Boys.

(I love to hear your opinions. Please click on the title of this blog post if you would like to view comments or add your own comment.)

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The TV question

It has recently come to my attention that I am a little bit of a TV Nazi. 

Our big kids (aged 2 and 3) watch no more than an hour of TV most days. (They may watch up to 2 hours on a sick day). The only thing we regularly watch is Play-school or Colin Buchanan DVDs. We also have one "Thomas the Tank Engine" DVD which has been watched about 3 times. We have prescribed "TV time" and the TV goes off when the DVD or Play-school episode is over. 

I have recently discovered that many other 3-year-olds watch a lot more variety and in some cases have a fair bit more TV time than our Miss 3.

I'm pretty set on the time factor - I'm not keen to have more TV time, but I am thinking maybe a bit more diversity would be a good thing.

What shows do your kids watch (particularly preschoolers)? How much TV time do you allow?

I love to hear your opinions. Please click on the title of this blog post if you would like to view comments or add your own comment.

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Early Words (and encouraging your baby to use them!)

As my littlest bub is becoming more interactive and communicative all the time, I've been reflecting  again on promoting communication in infants. Here is some "speechie" information for those of you with little ones...

Babies say their first words anywhere between 9-15 months of age (or sometimes later). Prior to this, babies use babble (repetitive sound play), which can sometimes be mistaken for real words. Although a first word does not have to be clearly produced, it is usually only classified as a real word if used consistently to reference a particular object, person or event. Early words are generally those which are commonly used and heard (e.g. mum, dad, baby, up) and phonetically simple (have fewer or more easily produced consonant sounds e.g. moo, baa, more).

Babies require repeated exposure to language and regular interactive play before they will begin to use words on their own. A few general tips for encouraging language in babies:

• Observe and follow baby's lead - pay attention to baby's focus of attention and comment on what baby is looking at
• Promote interaction - play anticipatory games such as "peek-a-boo", imitate baby's sounds and actions, follow baby's focus of attention and gradually introduce a new focus
• Reward gestures and sounds that are used for communication (e.g. pointing, waving, pulling parent)
• Show relationships between actions and words (e.g. baby reaches up to be picked up, parent says "up")
• Share books together regularly, pointing out and labelling pictures
• Share songs and nursery rhymes - babies love rhythm, rhyme and repetition!
• Label real-life objects using single words (body parts, toys, clothes, food)
• Label actions as baby is doing them (e.g. clap hands, stand up, sit down, kiss daddy)
• The use of simple sign language or gestures to accompany verbal language has been shown to increase both comprehension and language use in young children.

Some common early words (besides mummy/ daddy):

1) More

"More" is a useful early word for baby. Baby can use "more" to request food, drink, toys etc. Parents can easily model use of this word during meal-times, or turn-taking in play. In Australian signed English, "more" is communicated by placing a slightly curved palm (right hand) on your chest, and slowly moving the hand away from your chest.

2) Uh-oh

This was the first word used by both of my bigger kids. It is phonetically very easy for baby (no consonant sounds). There is also plenty of opportunity for parents to model the use of "uh-oh" when baby plays one of their favourite games - dropping toys and food from the high-chair!

 (My kids were particularly skilled at this game. By responding with "uh-oh", we had some lovely interactive play, and lots of giggles)

3) Up
Another useful and easy-to-model word for baby. Somewhere from 9-10 months, baby may begin to reach his/her arms up to be picked up. Parents can model use of "up" to accompany this action. Even better, model the word whenever you are getting baby off the floor, out of bed, out of a high-chair etc

4) Go

Encourage interaction and anticipation in play with baby by using "ready, set...go". This can be used with outdoor play (e.g. getting ready to go down a slide or be pushed on a swing, or run/ crawl to mummy), with ball play, blocks etc. I've given an example of using "ready, set...go" with my Miss Chatterbox. She was almost 9 months in this video. Notice the repetition. This becomes monotonous for an adult, but Miss 9 months is loving it.

5) Push
This could be used instead of "go" in the example above. It can also be used with cars/ trucks, balls, swings... It is a useful early verb for babies/ toddlers to know.

6) Bye
We all know how and when to model this one. Babies tend to use this one as an earlier word because it is (a) phonetically simple, (b) used so frequently, (c) accompanied by a gesture

7) Ball
An early noun - phonetically simple, very common, fun to model to baby in ball play. You can model lots of simple 2-word phrases - push ball, throw ball, kick ball, more ball, roll ball, my ball...

8) Dolly
 Again, both my big kids used this word earlier than I would have expected, though they did not say it clearly (in fact, Mr. 2 still says "doyyey"). Probably something to do with how much exposure they had to dolls, rather than being related to how easy the word is to say.

9) Ta
This is not actually a particularly useful word as an early word. It is designed to be used after getting a desired object or activity and doesn't really help baby to express a need/ want. However, it is easy to say and most parents tend to model it to their babies so it is usually used among the first words. You can model this to baby whenever handing over a desired toy, food item etc, or when baby hands something to you (another game they love to play around the 9 month mark!)

10) No
This is an early word you won't have to try very hard to teach! Particularly if your baby is a good crawler/ climber/ explorer, you will have plenty of opportunity to model this one, and baby will have plenty of opportunity to copy you!


The "early words" phase is so much fun. Use new words. Repeat, repeat, repeat. Praise attempts at communication. Enjoy interaction. Have fun!


What were/ are some of your baby's early words?

(I love to hear your opinions. Please click on the title of this blog post if you would like to view comments or add your own comment).

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Recipe of the week - Pumpkin, Chicken and Ricotta Pasta Bake

I adapted this recipe from the "Pumpkin and Chicken Cannelloni" in the Aldi cookbook (p. 78). Cannelloni is one of those things I don't really buy, so we don't have it at home. Although I went shopping with cannelloni on my list this week, somehow it was forgotten. I didn't realise this until the morning I went to prepare the recipe. I also did not buy the pre-made sun-dried tomato pasta bake, so I just used tinned tomatoes. I imagine it would taste nicer with the actual pasta bake sauce.

Here is our version:  

Pumpkin, chicken and ricotta pasta bake:

Ingredients 

300g pumpkin, chopped

200g ricotta cheese

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

500g chicken mince

2 tbs olive oil

1onion, sliced

1 tsp minced garlic

2 tins diced tomatoes or 1 and 1/2 jars sun dried tomato pasta bake

1/2 packet baby spinach leaves (approx 60g)

300-400g pasta (any type)

2 cups shredded cheese (cheddar or mozzarella)

Cooking Spray

Method

1) Bring a saucepan of water to the boil. Add pasta and book for 10-12 minutes or until soft. Drain and set aside

2) Peel and dice pumpkin (2cm pieces) and cook in boiling water until soft. Mash and set aside.

3) Heat 1 tbs oil in a fry-pan, brown the chicken mince

4) Combine browned chicken mince, mashed pumpkin, ricotta cheese and Parmesan cheese and set aside

5) Using the same pan you used for the chicken, cook onion and garlic until softened (approx 5 min), they add tomatoes or pasta bake, and the spinach leaves and heat through.

6) Lightly spray a large baking dish with cooking spray. Add the pasta and spread evenly over the bottom of the baking dish. Then spread the chicken/pumpkin mixture over the pasta, then the tomato sauce over the top. 

7) Sprinkle with the 2 cups cheese, and bake for approx 30 minutes.

8) Serve with salad or vegetables

What have you been cooking this week?

(I love to hear your opinions. Please click on the title of this blog post if you would like to view comments or add your own comment).

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