Travelling with little kids- the lap table

Travelling with little kids can be hard. Very hard. So hard that parents actually avoid taking their children away. But it doesn't have to be like that. I'd say our car trips are very pleasant experiences. Here are my 5 top tips;

1. Portable DVD player (sanity saver and worth every cent). 

2. Snacks & sippy cups (no mess foods and no leak cups).

3. The lap table: It holds paper and pencils securely and provides hours of entertainment (for Miss 2 anyway!). This is our new travel item. I bought it second hand for $10 (A 'Thomas' one) and it has a lovely soft base so it is comfortable for the lap. It has a zipped pencil case to each side and elastic which holds down paper. Brilliant!

4. A bag of small toys: We passed a new toy to Miss 9mths every ten minutes or so which helped entertain her (in between her naps).

5. A well thought out and well stocked nappy bag: I am talking panadol, nappies, change of clothes for everyone, towels, wipes, plastic bags, teething gel, spare dummies, blue books, extra everything is always best!

The key is to stagger these things. One thing at a time. Making them last as long as possible.

Being thankful

A reminder to be thankful today.
Even for just one thing.
Thankful for our children.
And for the moments we spend with those we love.
Thankful for life.
And the little surprises we get along the way.

"The unthankful heart... discovers no mercies; but let the thankful heart sweep through the day and, as the magnet finds the iron, so it will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings!"  Henry Ward Beecher

Love notes...how to keep the love alive

Love notes. Communicating our love. Surprising. Loving. Being able to connect even when we aren't able to be together.

I met my husband over 8 years ago. We started sending each other 'love notes' when we were dating. It started as a fun way to communicate when we were in a hurry, to make-up after an argument and then it turned into a way of communicating our love to each other.

We give each other our love notes in a variety of ways:
1. On the steering wheel of our car
2. Lunch box
3. Keyboard
4. Fridge door
5. At the bottom of our shopping list
6. On our pillows
7. At the bottom of our weekend to-do list

Our notes say:
1. Thanks for...
2. I love you
3. You are the best. Can't wait til you come home.
4. Hope you like the treat I packed you today, you deserve it.
5. I'm sorry. Please forgive me.
6. Can't wait for...
7. Date night tonight?
8. Only one more day of work until the weekend!
or whatever is on our heart at the time.

To add to the fun we started drawing a little family cartoon. Neither of us can draw but we have fun. We make our little family cartoon change depending on what we feeling at the time... recently on a to-do-list I drew our little family cartoon figure wearing and apron holding a broom. Just another way to get each other to smile.

We don't give each other little love notes everyday as that would take away from them being special. But we give them often enough to count. With our crazy, busy lives (with no baby-sitters) this is a simple, sweet way to connect. To remind each other how much we love and think of each other. How much we need each other. How much we still believe in each other.

Australia Day Facepainting

Mr Sunshine and I have never really been 'into' Australia Day celebrations. Just not something we grew up celebrating. But when I saw an Australia Day face painting kit at the supermarket I knew I had to indulge seeing as though neither of the girls had ever had their faces painted.

I bought the little pack for $2 and was a fun activity. Seeing as though I have never confessed to being an artist I just kept it simple. Love hearts. You can't go wrong with love hearts.

Okay. By looking at the photo you can tell three things...

1. I am no artist.

2. It was a cheap packet of face paints.

3. I had a fidgety child... the love hearts face in different directions because she kept facing in different directions. *sigh*

But the girls loved it especially when Mr Sunshine took them to the mirror to check it all out.

What is in my freezer... all home made.

I love being prepared. Mostly because I've been caught out time after time. I love to keep my freezer well stocked. So today I thought I'd show you what I have hidden in there.

1. Cheesy sausage tarts

2. Cheesymite scrolls

3. Pizza scrolls

4. Cheese & herb mini muffins

5. 1, 1, 1, 1, cake
(I made them into mini muffins instead)

6. 100+ cookies from one recipe

7. 3 ingredient mini muffin
(I put some mini m&m's in too)

8. Mars bar and marshmellow slice

I found most of the recipes over at the Organised Housewife. Give these recipes a try, they really are winners!

Speech Therapy- Transport

As I have mention before, Miss 2 is in need of speech therapy. It isn't a big deal as both Mr. Sunshine and myself needed speech therapy as children. And we talk beautifully now!

Last week at speech therapy the theme was Transport. So at home we have been looking and talking about transport trying to encourage Miss 2 to make sounds. Here is what I came up with to do at home:

1. I cut out car and truck pictures from magazines that someone thankfully gave me and we made collages each day while we talked about what we were doing.

2. When we were in town we stopped and talked about the other transport vehicles we saw. She was very interested. We saw a bus, a truck, a car, a van, a bike and a scooter.

3. We sung nursery rhymes such as 'The Wheels on the Bus'.

4. We read books to do with transport. Over and over and over again. 

5. We looked around the house for anything to do with transport and talked about it.

6. When we were out and about in town we talked about the road and why transport vehicles use the road. We talked about road safety.

7. We used 'Cars' stickers this week for treats. I bought theses stickers from Big W for $6. This pack includes 300 stickers. Thought that wasn't a bad deal!

8. We also played with the cars, buses and trucks that we own.

What a fun week we had studying transport. 

And we did get some correct sounds out of Miss 2 so yippee!

Anyone else had children who took awhile to get the talking thing happening?

Nutritious snacks for kids

I've been on a bit of a hunt trying to find some healthy snacks for the girls. Sometimes it feels that they never stop eating! And I want them to be eating the right thing.

What I've found that they will eat:

1. Rice crackers or Salatas

2. Fresh fruit: our favourites are apples, pears, watermelon, grapes and strawberries.

3. Cheese

4. Yoghurt

5. Vegetable and fruit muffins (home-made)

6. Milkshake/Smoothie (home-made)

7. Pumpkin Scones (home-made)

8. Pizza Scrolls (home-made)

I want to get them eating:

9. Carrot and celery sticks dipped in hommus

10. Dried fruit

11. Pikelets

This week I've tried to keep the morning tea simple so that they have an appetite come lunch time. Next week I'm working on the carrot & celery sticks with hommus. As I have said before Miss 2 always responds well to choices hence the variety on her plate;

Choc banana muffin and mandarin

Pear, rice crackers and cheese

Grapes and choc banana muffin

Tiny teddies & an apple (she will only eat them whole)

Pizza Scrolls

Diced bacon

Jar of cream cheese

Grated cheese

Tomato sauce

Pastry sheets

1. Spread cream cheese over pastry.

2. Spread tomato sauce over cream cheese.

3. Sprinkle bacon and cheese over the top.

4. Roll pastry to form a log.

5. Slice to get little pin-wheels.

I freeze these as they make a delish snack (Mr Sunshine & the girls love them).

Pumpkin Scones

3 cups of self-raising flour

Pinch of salt

80g butter

1 tablespoon caster sugar

1 cup of milk (can use a replacement if wanting to be dairy-free)

1 cup of diced cooked & cooled butternut pumpkin (I use the microwave and squish with a fork)

1. Preheat oven at 220c

2. Sift flour and salt and rub butter into it.

3. Stir in sugar.

4. Add milk and pumpkin. Mix with a knife until it just comes together.

5. Knead til combined.

6. Use a round cutter to cut out the dough.

7. Bake scones for 12-15mins.

How to entertain the kids while you tidy

Unfortunately in the craziness of our busy life the main bedroom becomes a dumping ground. The things that get dumped are mostly things that don't have homes. So on Sunday I decided to clean it up. Now I just need to tell you that even though it was Sunday for all of you normal people, it wasn't for me. Mr Sunshine was at work so I had a normal day with the girls. So all the work I managed to get done I did with my two little ones 'helping' me.

I love my little girls and I appreciate their company but sometimes (especially when I am lifting heavy things around) they get in the way. But that is what I signed up for (and I really don't mind) so I have learnt to just manage their company while I sort. And this is how I do it;

1. Bag of toys: I always keep a bag of toys in each room of the house for those times when I need to distract Miss 9mths. I managed somehow to keep one area of our room clean so that she could sit and play without getting in my way too much. And surprisingly she managed to stay there for quite awhile (she is crawling so she gets into everything at the moment).

2. An 'older' activity: While Miss 2 still loves toys I find she is occupied longer with an 'older girl' activity. And I have plenty of those. So while I sorted she played with a special magnet set, felt, a jigsaw and her special tea set. Oh, and she had to pack up each one before starting another activity.

3. Music: I've always found that by turning music on the kids will play for longer. I'm not really sure why but it is another little trick that I have up my sleeve.

4. TV: If all else fails I turn on the TV which Miss 2 likes (Miss 9mths isn't interested). Though normally my cleaning up in another room is far more interesting for both of them than TV.

5. The hallway: If the kids start getting restless I chuck another bunch of activities in the hallway so that I can still see them but they benefit from being in a different play area. Works for us!

This is what I accomplished:

Before:

After:

I know things don't look very neat or organised but at the moment I can't really afford to being organised. But this is at least workable. I can get to everything easily and without treading on things and breaking them. I know where everything is even though it looks crazy on those shelves. One day (and a zillion dollars later) I may be able to organise this to perfection. But for now, this will do.

Just hope it stays like this.

Meals on a budget #1 Sweet potato & chicken noodles

Ingredients

3x packet of instant noodles @ $1

1x sweet potato 50c

500g chicken breast @ $3.50 (I wait and buy chicken breast when it is cheap, in bulk or on special)

1/2 a tin of Coconut milk @ 50c

Chicken stock/flavouring (can use the flavouring that comes with the noodles or your own stock)

Total cost $5.50 for 4 serves

Method:
Microwave chopped sweet potato until soft and then mash.
Fry finely diced chicken breast and then add sweet potato.
Add cooked noodles (as per instructions on packet).
Add coconut milk and stock and simmer for a few minutes.
Then serve.

This dish could be used for the inside of a pie or pastry of some sort (I got a lovely Breville pie maker for Christmas). Not only is it cheap but it is also dairy-free! Mr Sunshine went for seconds and then thirds and Miss 2 & Miss 9mths ate it. So a dish that did very well in our house. Yay!

Volcano fun

Yesterday we had a themed 'Volcano' day. I'm pretty sure I picked this theme purely because of my own desire to make a volcano which is something I haven't done since primary school. It also might have something to do with the fact that Miss 2 is crazy about dinosaurs. And volcano's are in all the dinosaur books. Still mostly because I wanted to make it! We made ours from salt dough because it is so easy.

Salt dough recipe

6 cups of flour

2 cups of salt

4 tbsp oil

2 cups of water

(I actually halved this as I only wanted to make a little volcano)

I put a little bottle on baking paper on a tray and wrapped the salt dough around it.

We then added a little water. 

Then some detergent to create the little bubbles. 

Then a little bit of red food colouring.

A couple of good tablespoons of baking soda.

And then finally add some vinegar, and ta dah! We have lift off.

Needless to say the girls both had fun (I did too shhh!). It was fun to read the books together beforehand (about volcano's) and get excited with the girls. And I'm thinking that this was a pretty awesome learning experience for the both of them- I can't wait to do it again.

But I think the girls had even more fun washing up afterwards! 

Plastics tubs

Yes, I know. Another tubs idea. But they honestly save us!

Why do plastic tubs work?

1. There is no reaching to the back trying to find items. You just slide or lift the tub out. I first starting using these plastic tubs when I was pregnant and had a bad back. And I found that this made a huge difference.

2. We all know little children love playing with the plastics cupboards. After the kids have brought out every item I simply just chuck all the items into the tub. There is no wasting time sorting things back into the cupboard.

3. Things don't fall out at me when I open the cupboard (was happening before). Not only incredibly frustrating but it also didn't help my back.

4. Keeps things looking much neater and tidier.

Sometimes things 'overflow' to the side of the tub (as you can see in the picture) and this is usually an indication that it is time to sort through them and chuck out items I no longer need.
I bought these tubs from Big W. I always buy good quality tubs as I see no point in wasting money on ones that may crack. If you are interested in re-organising your plastics cupboard in this way but can't afford to buy all the tubs at once, I would suggest buying one or two tubs a fortnight and slowly getting organised. That's what I did and I haven't looked back.

Why I need to make a MESS

I've been learning to let things go.

Because panic attacks are draining.

I've been teaching myself to let go.

Taking deep breaths. Closing my eyes and focusing on what I can feel, hear and smell.

I've been making a mess.

And I've been leaving it.

I've been messy with the children.

And loving it.

I've been getting dirty.

And not having another shower.

I've been letting those fears melt away.

And I feel happy.

I've been giving it to God.

And feeling set free.

And here I am.

Writing about panic attacks without causing another panic attack.

I'm letting go.

Thanks to my mess.

Failure to thrive... no more

Miss 9mths was classified as failure to thrive a few months ago. She had stopped eating, dropped weight and screamed all day and all night. Her ribs stuck out, she looked unhappy and ill. She dropped off the growth chart and weighed just 6kg at 8 months. She also suffered from reflux.

I put up with four months of her waking hourly during the night, crying and screaming all day (in hunger, I think). We spent a week at a children's hospital getting answers and then a few days at another feeding clinic which ruled out medical conditions and we discovered that is was for the most part behavioural. We tried everything they suggested and things didn't get any worse but not any better either. Looking back I really don't know how I managed.

Then four weeks ago things completely turned around. Miss 9mths is now 7.2kg, sleeping through the night and eating plenty. 
She rarely screams while she is eats (which she used to do) and even though she still won't drink much milk she is looking healthy and will occasionally have some water. 
She is crawling, cruising and just took her first steps yesterday.

So I am thankful. 

Thankful for her life. 

Thankful that things have turned around.

Thankful that now it looks like she will make it to age 1!

Thankful for the people who helped us and prayed for us.

Thankful that I am blessed with her presence in my life.

DIY Gloop- an educational activity

We made gloop yesterday. 

Wait. Stop.

Don't know what gloop is?

Gloop is a slimy, wet, gross sensory activity for children. 

Did I say fun?

I should have.

How to make Gloop:
1 box of corn flour
Water to mix
Food colouring

You need to place the corn flour in a deep tray or bowl (just needs to be big enough so that your kids can explore). Then slowly add the water (encouraging the kids to put their hands in) until you reach the desired consistency. Then you pick it up and squeeze, it feels solid yet when you relax it runs through your fingers.

Words you can use during this activity-  runny, wet, dirty, sticky, dry, clean, solid and liquid. I said things like "Wow, it feels so sticky doesn't it?" and "Does that make your fingers feel wet?".
You will also have the chance to discuss about pouring, stirring and mixing.

It is made entirely of food products so it is very safe for the little ones who still tend to put everything in their mouths.

Miss 9mths dove right into the container and made a real fun mess. It went in her hair, on her clothes and in her mouth.

Miss 2 was a little bit more hesitant and didn't like the mess it made but eventually she warmed up and had fun with us.

A fun activity for both girls.

I am many different women

Last night (while I ironed) I watched Miss Congeniality (not for the first time mind you) and thought how much I can identify with her. 
She is tough, not into make-up and secure. She looks like she hasn't used a hairbrush in her lifetime and doesn't know what to do with make-up (both totally me).

Other times I see myself more like this type of woman. A mother to a zillion (I only have two children but sometimes it does seem like more...), bus driver, grocer, cook, cleaner, clothes sorter, ironer, bottom-wiper, teacher, nurse, band-aid giver, speech therapist, dietician and carer etc. 

I love this busy, self-less woman.

Other times I see myself more as a wife. 

A lover. 

A supporter.

An encourager.

A best friend. 

Someone who has found their earthly partner. 

I think of that woman when I watch You've got Mail. 

On occasions I see myself as this woman from 27 dresses and I am;

* Sacrificing

* Desiring to think of others

* Someone who needs to let go

* A Junk-collector... (I don't collect dresses though!)

Sometimes I love who I see in the mirror. 

Other times I hate who I see in the mirror.

Mostly I like who I see in the mirror.

I'm pretty happy with all the types of me. Sometimes it is a juggle trying to be all those women at the same time. Sometimes they don't connect and merge like I want them too. I know some of those women will die off, some will change and some will stay. But I'm okay with that.

I like me.

Blurb... my 25th present

My children bought me an amazing 25th birthday present. A book containing every one of my blog posts during 2011. As you know I keep a diary and I have recently starting using my one line a day for 365 days journal.
Having this beautiful record of my life and thoughts is very precious. It really was a beautiful surprise... I was so excited to receive it (you should have seen me tear away the packaging!).

It is a book from Blurb and what I love most about it is...

1. They copy all of your blog posts and pictures over for you (saves you time and energy!)

2. It looks and feels professional.

3. You can order multiple copies after make the original order.

4. I have a lovely little record of my thoughts last year...but even better.

5. I received the book just over a week after I had placed the order (impressive considering they ship from America).

My idea of a birthday is lots of fuss, nice foods, lots of presents and making the special for them. And NO jobs for the birthday boy/girl. We had the wonderful rule growing up and it is something I've brought to our own family.

I had a lovely birthday. My Dad came up and spent most of the day outside. Isn't it wonderful when people go out of their way to make sure you have a wonderful birthday? I'm so appreciative that I had people thinking about how they could make the day special for me (I didn't have to change any nappies!)...

Why a routine works for us

I like routine. No wait... I love routines. 

Why? Well because children work so well on a routine. And I like it when children 'work'.

I believe that children work well with boundaries, knowing what will happen and when. However having said that, my children will sleep and eat other places, they have stayed up late (and coped) and survived a delayed lunchtime... 

Our routine: (loosely based on Save Our Sleep)

Wake up times: Unlike many parents we have a 'wake-up' time in our house. If our children are not awake by 7am then they are woken up. This is because we believe it is good to start the day at the same time every day. Our children are also not allowed out of their rooms/bed until 6am. I mean really, anything before that is just, well, inhuman. So 6am it is. Miss 2 often wakes before that and plays in her room or on her bed knowing that even if she calls out and yells that I will only come and get her (we have a safety gate at the door of her bedroom so she can't get out during the night) when it is time. More often than not, she falls back to sleep again.

Disclosure: We have never had to wake Miss 2. Ever. I've only ever woken Miss 8mths once or twice.

Meal times: We have meal times in our household, 12pm for lunch and 5pm for dinner. Not only does this help the kids have 'rumbly tummies' by those set times it also ensures that we (as a family) are ready to sit down together. Yes, I really believe in family mealtimes being family mealtimes. This is when our children see us eat, use table manners, watch us eat those pesky vegetables and thank God for our food.
Disclosure: We vary this every now and then and our children have coped very well (except for one disaster at a restaurant two months ago... but they had been stuck all day in the car travelling as well).

Sleep times: Both our children have a sleep at 1pm sharp. This way I get a rest from both of them (any Mum would understand why this is necessary). When Miss 2 outgrows her sleep she will have 'rest time' in her room. She has plenty of toys and books in her room to play with and I will set a 40min timer so that she knows when her rest time is up.

Miss 8mths is put in bed at 6.30 and Miss 2 at 7pm (Miss 8mths will move to 7pm soon) sharp. This means that 10-15 minutes before this time we start our no rush bedtime routine of brushing our teeth, read a book and say our prayers so that lights are out by those set times. I love that the girls know when bed time is, knows what comes after what and that come 7pm they are both snug in their beds! My husband and I love and cherish the time we get together at night.
Disclosure: Miss 2 rarely falls straight asleep, she often reads on her bed for half an hour. But she is in bed and resting and on days that we tire her out she does fall asleep straight away. Miss 8mths falls asleep pretty much straight away every time (yay!).

Both girls sleep in their own beds. Always have. Miss 2 moved from a cot to a single bed at the age of 14mths and coped perfectly (all about reading the signs). Miss 8mths is in a cot and will move into a toddler bed by the end of the year (bought a lovely second-hand Mother's Choice one for $40). They sleep in their own rooms at the moment but we hope to move them together at some point this year. 

Why do we enforce bedtimes?

1. I believe it creates an atmosphere for a higher sleep quality and quantity for infants and toddlers. Not getting enough sleep affects children's behaviour, memory, attention, and overall emotional well-being.

2.  I believe that regular sleep patterns will help children perform to their potential especially once they are at school. Setting a structured sleep routine now will make everything easier later on.

Hatching hugs

We have based our routine on the Save our Sleep book by Tizzie Hall. She bases her routines on fairly tight schedules which often results in having children who sleep through the night. Her books are one of the best parenting books I've read- all about tough love baby! And my husband and I kind of LOVE having uninterrupted time from 7pm-6am. 

This isn't the only way, nor is it the best way... it is simply a way- they way we choose. And it works for us.

Emergency play-date MUST HAVE's

There are two things I have learnt since I've become a SAHM;

1. Always be prepared for a sudden play date.
2. Play dates mean... food!

And this is how I stay prepared:
1. My pantry always, always has a few boxes of packet mixes (betty crocker is our favourite).

Even though I love making my own food from scratch there have been times when that just isn't possible. Like when a friend calls and says that they are popping in (with their army of kids) in 30mins time. What do you do? (other than run around making sure there isn't underwear lying around) You stick something easy in the oven!
Oh, and I stock up when these are on special (most of the ones in the picture I scored for $2 each).

2. I always keep Betty Crocker's ready-to-go icing, sprinkles and other decorating lollies and bits in my pantry. Why?
* They can be used to quickly ice a cake or muffins.
* They can also be used to decorate store bought biscuits which makes for a fun, easy activity for toddlers and young children (for adults too!). I also freeze cakes for emergencies (yes there are cake emergencies!) and this icing is perfect for those sudden play dates.


So when you next go to the shops, buy these 'must have's' and you won't be sorry!

A trade in

I used to scrapbook. When I had the time, space and money. I don't have either. So I jumped online and sold all my remaining scrap-booking items and bought this...

We were also able to buy (hasn't come yet) a new slide/stairs to attach to the left hand side. So now when I am outside tinkering in my vegetable patch, watering or just having a cuppa, the girls have another wonderful activity to keep them occupied. Another reason to get them out of the house, running around and keeping active. I love encouraging outdoor play!