Tantrum time

Parenting is not always a walk in the park and I for one know that. Although my daughter has always been very easy going, patient and thoughtful there have been times over the last two year when I have wanted to tear my hair out. When Miss S was about 18 months old I started to notice a change in her behaviour. Every now and then I saw quite a strong steak of independence and random anger outbursts. I wondered if it was a sign of what was to come.

I began to read up about the phenomenon of toddler hood to try to better understand the causes of tantrums and how to keep them to a minimum. I discovered that is is caused by the child being flooded with all these new emotions that they have never had to deal with. Initially the only way to deal with these feelings is to do this AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

What an awesome picture. When Miss S threw her first tantrum I must admit I turned my head away and silently laughed. It was quite a sight. The humour of the situation subsided quite quickly for me though and depending on how often the tantrum rears its ugly head it may be easy to want to join them. Unfortunately the saying 'If you can't beat them join them' doesn't work here. 

So what do you do if you encounter the dreaded tantrum?

 - The first thing I learnt is that is is almost impossible to reason with a toddler having a tantrum. When they are in the 'zone' there is not much you can do to calm them down. However I always let Miss S know that I would love to give her a big cuddle once she has stopped yelling

 - Always make sure that the child is not going to hurt them selves or anyone else

 - The thing that I have found works best for Miss S is distraction and it usually doesn't take long to have her calm enough to have a drink of water (it does take persistence and patience)

 - Once she is serene she usually becomes a cuddle bunny, needing to be as close as possible, to reassure herself that everything is OK and mummy still loves her. 

It really is amazing to know that the best way to teach your toddler the way to handle her/his own emotions is through modelling. Makes you think twice about how you react when you stub your toe against the door doesn't it :o)

Of course the plus side of toddler hood is the new positive emotions. You toddler becomes more loving, gentle, thoughtful and compassionate. It is beautiful to see. And in the midst of a tantrum I always try to focus on the loving cuddles I am receiving more regularly from my little girl.

 

Too busy not to blog

Wow has it been that long since I've posted on my blog. Man do I feel slack. April was 6 months ago and I have a number of blogs I've been meaning to write over the past few months and haven't got around to do any of them. So you can expect (hopefully) quite a few over the next few weeks to catch up.


Well since my last blog a few things have happened. Michael has been accepted into a university course down in Melbourne (sooo much cheaper to liver there then Sydney) and we are now looking to move there are the beginning of next year. We are sort of settled (aka squished) into our little unit and enjoying the thought of a bigger house in Melbourne next year (*sigh* sometimes the only positive I can see about moving soooo far away). Miss S has just had her second birthday and I still can't believe how quickly the last 2 years have gone. We have been busy trying to 'organize' a few of the details to do with next year like rental properties, university scholarships, new car and rego in VIC, moving interstate and finding a new church. All seems a bit overwhelming but it is all part of the plan.


During all this craziness we have enjoyed a few lovely days together over the school holidays and here is just a few photos of the people that make everyday worthwhile. 

 Enjoying a day at the beach

Miss S having a lovely time at her pool party

Amazing April

When I think of this month so far the saying "When it rains it pours" comes to mind. It has all been happening in our house over the last few weeks and we are so blessed to say it has all been great happenings! 

The first thing that happened is WE HAVE SOLD THE HOUSE!

Such a long time coming and such a huge relief! The buyers wanted a really quick settlement and so we were out in three weeks. Found our selves a little 3 bedroom unit and are now saving hard for next year.

During all the shenanigans of the move (we all know how crazy it is getting a king size mattress up a staircase lol) I was offered a 2 day a week job at my old school doing ICT or computers. I really didn't want to go back to work and put Miss S in day care however the school moved the days to fit me! Amazing! What a fantastic opportunity to go back to work and give Michael 2 daddy days on his mid week 'weekend.' It worked out perfectly for us. So now I am back at work and determined to use my pay to upgrade our trusty old Accord for a deliciously tall SUV :o)

So it is only the 10th of April and so much has already happened. I do wonder what is in store for the rest of the month....

Mummy, Mummy, Mummy, Mummy, Mummy

"Mummy."

"Yes Miss S."

"Mummy."

"Yes Miss S."

"Mummy."

"Yes Miss S."

And so on. You get the picture. This scene is replayed in our home many times a day. And I absolutely LOVE it! Surprisingly Miss S' first word was not 'Mama' or 'Dada' but 'Hello.' A few weeks later she discovered 'Dada' and both Michael and I were addressed with this word for over a month.

Glowing and continuing to grow at 7 months pregnant

Now as a mother who went through a very very long nine months of pregnancy and a four day labour you hope and even expect that your child's first word would be 'mummy.' Why wouldn't it? Since then I have learnt that most children say 'Dada' first regardless how many times you vomited during your pregnancy.



Hours old Miss S and a very besotted Mummy

Being a mummy really is the greatest experience of all time. Holding your new child in your arms for the first time is overwhelming. She is perfect, absolutely perfect. I remember saying this over and over again when Miss S was born.



Miss S (3 months) and Mummy 'helping' to landscape the new house

Of course it is not all smooth sailing. The first few months are so emotional and challenging. You are crying because breastfeeding is so painful and then at the same time crying because you are so in love with your child. You are surviving on very little sleep and the days all start rolling into one.



Celebrating Mummy's birthday (5 months)

Then suddenly your child is smiling. For us this happened when Miss S was 6 weeks old and her bright smile seemed to make many problems dissipate. She became an expert at wrapping her parents and anyone else in her presence around her tiny little fingers.

Miss S (6 months) having a lovely time at the park

Your child becomes such a huge part of your family that you can't even remember what you did before they came along. No nappies, no toys all over the house, no 2am wake ups, no morning smiles, no giggles. How boring :o)

Enjoying a holiday in NZ (8 months)

And of all the amazing things you have heard in your life, the one that most melts your heart is hearing your child say 'Mummy, Mummy, Mummy.'

Playing at Southbank (13 months)



Honey Pork Noodle Stir fry

Just thought I would share with you a fantastic recipe I found from Healthyfoodguide.com.au. It is so quick and delicious and Michael quite often requests it :o)

Honey Pork Noodle Stir fry

Ingredients

300g lean pork (either thinly sliced schnitzel or lean pork mince)

2 teaspoons sesame oil

1 onion, chopped

3-4 cups chopped seasonal vegetables: courgettes, capsicum, beans, scallopini, broccoli

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 tablespoons crunchy peanut butter

2 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce

2-3 bundles dried noodles

3/4 cup chicken stock

2 tablespoons honey

Instructions

1. Cook the noodles according to the packet directions.

2. While the noodles are cooking, heat the sesame oil in a wok or large frying pan. 
Stir-fry the pork, then add the onion and ginger and cook for 2-3 minutes, until onion is soft.

3. Add the soy sauce, honey, chilli sauce, peanut butter and stock, then toss in the vegetables and mix well, stir-fry until the vegetables are tender crisp.

4. Divide the noodles between four bowls and pile on the stir-fried pork and vegetables. 
Spoon over any additional sauce.

This recipe is for 4 so there is always left overs when I make it. They are great to reheat for lunch the following day. Enjoy :o)

The God Gap

For the past few months our family has been waiting to see what is ahead for us in 2011. With Michael accepted into his university course in Sydney we assumed that the house would sell and we would be moving down to NSW at the end of the year. Well the end of the year is now officially here and our house has been on the market for almost 5 months and nothing.

It has been a real challenge believing that God is in control of the situation and there has been many times when we decided that we could do a better job of the situation. God has had so much time to do what obviously needed to be done (in our minds anyway) and we were starting to loose faith that this house was even the miracle house it started out being. After days of struggling with the situation we came back to God and gave Him the situation yet again and decided if we go or stay another year here in Ipswich there will be a reason.

So here we are in the God Gap. Not really sure of where we are headed or how finances will work out, but content knowing that Gods timing is perfect and "He makes all things beautiful in His time."

There is a bridge in a song that reminds me that God is in control and in all things He is worthy of praise.

All of my life, in every season

You are still God

I have a reason to sing, I have a reason to worship.

The steps towards walking

Everyone knows that one of the greatest milestones for a child is their first steps. So when our daughter started pulling herself up on everything and wanting to hold our hand whilst walking we knew that the 'special moment' was quickly approaching.

Very quickly mummy and daddy realised that, although  walking around all day holding two little hands was not going to hurt Miss S in anyway, our backs were starting to anticipate the time when we could stand up straight once again.

This is when the 'Scrum Walk' was developed. It started one afternoon while I was cooking dinner and Miss S was holding on to my legs. I needed to move across the kitchen to get something and so I walked slowly and Miss S continued hanging on and took steps with me. This new move was very exciting for everyone and was used on a daily basis to move around the house.

A few weeks later she began taking a few small steps on her own and would then fall over on her overly padded nappy bottom. It didn’t take long for her to build her confidence and she is now found walking up and down the house carrying a pair of shoes or a remote control. Crawling is for ‘babies.’

They grow up so fast and now the days of putting Miss S on a mat to play seems like a life time ago. The whole world is now her oyster. Being a mum is such fun :o)