In a week wherethere is lots of exciting things happening, including:
- labor kicked liberal's butt after having had its butt kicked equally hard last election
- lots of female polititians in high profile places as ministers and deputy leaders (isn't that nice?)
- climate change finally being on the agenda
- the newly turfed out liberal party bickering and sniping at whose fault it was that they lost the election and letting all that repressed anger that they couldn't direct at John Howard (even his father in law accused him of being an egomaniac!)
Not to mention all the things that are going on overseas that don't rate much in our newspapers...
In these interesting times, aren't you just pleased that news items like this make the papers? Stop press! Everyone - the ABC NEWSREADER HAD A COUGH!! I was actually watching the news at the time. She had to stop to cough a few times, and her voice actually sounded wobbly, like she was trying really hard not to cough. Then we switched to ABC news Melbourne for 10 minutes or so. Then back again after a cough lolly and glass of water. Big Whoop.
Hey Fairfax! I've got some news items that might be of interest:
Boy riding in shopping trolley this morning declares "I have an itchy bum!" really loudly!*
or
Professor in tanty throwing shock!
Anyone else got any newsworthy stories, given the new standard set by the SMH above?
*not my son...
01 December 2007
26 November 2007
The big swim
A month or two back a few friends and I decided to do an oceanswim – partly as a challenge that we all agreed to and were therefore more likely to follow through on, partly as a “let’s pick somewhere nice to go for a swim” thing. None of us are competitive, it’s just swimming up and down a pool gets a bit boring but we’re also a bit chicken about swimming far in the ocean unless it’s well manned by lifesavers – so an organized event like an ocean swim is pretty much the only way to go (if you don’t live near the beach), and it raises money for the local SLSC at the same time.
So we picked the Coogee Wedding Cake island challenge. The swim was either 2.4km or 1km – the latter is too short, so I settled on the 2.4 km swim and proceeded to not think about it too much so I wouldn’t woos* out.
So Sunday morning rolls around…
- By 8:30am: 2 friends have pulled out (one sick but still offering to drive me there and mind my bag, the other opting for the 1km option). That just left me doing the swim.
- By 10am: I lost my goggles when I got dumped by a wave whilst warming up. This was a bad omen, but my friend had a spare old pair she offered to lend me.
So there I was, “warming up” in the rather cold November Tasman Sea, thinking, “I’m not sure this feels right”…. A mostly pool swimmer, I’d forgotten how hard it was to swim in the swell in unheated water!! I had a headache (not sure if it was due to not having coffee that morning for the first time in a while, or if I was coming down with something…), I was unusually thirsty, I had no friend to hold my hand, and the island I had to swim around looked a long way out…
At the last minute I met someone through my friend, and we walked up to the start line together and made “just having met” chit chat, which helped ease the butterflies quite a bit. Then suddenly my cohort of similarly aged swimmers (some very buff and brown and fit looking) was up at the start line, ready to have blanks fired out of a gun by a newly-in-government Peter Garrett, to make us run like startled sheep to the water!!
Off we went! The start is a flurry of kicking feet, waves, trying to find a patch of ocean on your own to swim in, and trying to catch sight of the buoys ahead of you whilst getting into a swimming rhythm in a body of water that won’t be still. After about 400m I felt settled down a bit, and started to enjoy it. The course is basically out to sea, around and island and back again, and I got to the island ok. The water was cool, but the sun was nice and warm on my back. Then the sea got a bit rough, and I actually felt a bit sea sick. Tried to ignore it – what else could I do but swim back?
By the return journey, the field had thinned quite a bit, so you didn’t have to worry about other swimmers so much. But each time you looked up to see where the next buoy was, you were taunted by a far off vision of the Coogee foreshore – was I really that far out? I kept trying to repress the sea sick feeling, tried to ignore the fact that I’d stopped having fun and wanted to just float for a bit, and kept going. Finally, I reached the last buoy, and suddenly, the bottom of the ocean was only a few feel below, the water was warm, and the waves - with a bit of careful timing – carried you into shore (despite my tiredness, I managed to not get dumped). I made it out of the water, made an effort to run like my co-swimmers (although I really couldn’t be arsed), and stumbled through the finish line, which quite strangely had the words “START” above it.
I felt a bit ill and cold for an hour or so after, and was mindful of the memory of my brother going in a Triathlon as a kid and vomiting afterwards from the effort of it. But after I’d sat in a hot car on the ride home, then eaten a bowl of stodgey vege risotto I’d made the day before, I felt much better. Then I had a bath, relaxed for a bit, and it sank in that I’d actually completed something quite hard, and had kept going despite wanting to stop.
I think I’d like to do more ocean swims, but maybe ones with better courses – triangular swims in bays or swims around headlands don’t feel so bad. With the Coogee swim, you round the island to head home and think “my god! I’ve got another KILOMETRE to go!” Which is quite hard psychologically when you are starting to get a bit tired at the same time!
* is that how you spell it?
So we picked the Coogee Wedding Cake island challenge. The swim was either 2.4km or 1km – the latter is too short, so I settled on the 2.4 km swim and proceeded to not think about it too much so I wouldn’t woos* out.
So Sunday morning rolls around…
- By 8:30am: 2 friends have pulled out (one sick but still offering to drive me there and mind my bag, the other opting for the 1km option). That just left me doing the swim.
- By 10am: I lost my goggles when I got dumped by a wave whilst warming up. This was a bad omen, but my friend had a spare old pair she offered to lend me.
So there I was, “warming up” in the rather cold November Tasman Sea, thinking, “I’m not sure this feels right”…. A mostly pool swimmer, I’d forgotten how hard it was to swim in the swell in unheated water!! I had a headache (not sure if it was due to not having coffee that morning for the first time in a while, or if I was coming down with something…), I was unusually thirsty, I had no friend to hold my hand, and the island I had to swim around looked a long way out…
At the last minute I met someone through my friend, and we walked up to the start line together and made “just having met” chit chat, which helped ease the butterflies quite a bit. Then suddenly my cohort of similarly aged swimmers (some very buff and brown and fit looking) was up at the start line, ready to have blanks fired out of a gun by a newly-in-government Peter Garrett, to make us run like startled sheep to the water!!
Off we went! The start is a flurry of kicking feet, waves, trying to find a patch of ocean on your own to swim in, and trying to catch sight of the buoys ahead of you whilst getting into a swimming rhythm in a body of water that won’t be still. After about 400m I felt settled down a bit, and started to enjoy it. The course is basically out to sea, around and island and back again, and I got to the island ok. The water was cool, but the sun was nice and warm on my back. Then the sea got a bit rough, and I actually felt a bit sea sick. Tried to ignore it – what else could I do but swim back?
By the return journey, the field had thinned quite a bit, so you didn’t have to worry about other swimmers so much. But each time you looked up to see where the next buoy was, you were taunted by a far off vision of the Coogee foreshore – was I really that far out? I kept trying to repress the sea sick feeling, tried to ignore the fact that I’d stopped having fun and wanted to just float for a bit, and kept going. Finally, I reached the last buoy, and suddenly, the bottom of the ocean was only a few feel below, the water was warm, and the waves - with a bit of careful timing – carried you into shore (despite my tiredness, I managed to not get dumped). I made it out of the water, made an effort to run like my co-swimmers (although I really couldn’t be arsed), and stumbled through the finish line, which quite strangely had the words “START” above it.
I felt a bit ill and cold for an hour or so after, and was mindful of the memory of my brother going in a Triathlon as a kid and vomiting afterwards from the effort of it. But after I’d sat in a hot car on the ride home, then eaten a bowl of stodgey vege risotto I’d made the day before, I felt much better. Then I had a bath, relaxed for a bit, and it sank in that I’d actually completed something quite hard, and had kept going despite wanting to stop.
I think I’d like to do more ocean swims, but maybe ones with better courses – triangular swims in bays or swims around headlands don’t feel so bad. With the Coogee swim, you round the island to head home and think “my god! I’ve got another KILOMETRE to go!” Which is quite hard psychologically when you are starting to get a bit tired at the same time!
* is that how you spell it?
23 November 2007
armed robbery, 3 way car crashes and lacerations to the left hand
It's been dramatic around here lately...
E-chan and I were coming home at around 5:15 on Wednesday, and found the staff of the nearby chemist hanging around outside their shop with a few other people. On closer inspection, one of the pharmacists had her hand covering her mouth. On closer inspection, she was gasping and going into shock. The other pharmacist was walking back from down the street, with an angry expression, as if she'd just come back from an unsuccessful chase. Concerned shop owners came in to comfort them, others were ringing the cops on mobile phones. They walked into their shop and locked the door shut behind them.
Then yesterday, there was a three-way car crash near my house. A car door had to be removed, peak hour traffic was diverted, fire engines and ambulances at hand.... the works. Many onlookers standing by.
And then also yesterday, without onlookers (E-chan was asleep, thank goodness), I foolishly and regretfully cut the webbing between my index and middle finger on my left hand whilst trying to remove the stone of an avocado with a blunt knife (note to self - get out a chopping board instead of holding avocado, and use a sharper knife next time). Wound was quite deep, so I saw before the blood. Luckily, I went into First Aid mode - my perception zoomed back up behind my head, and I watched myself locate my first aid kit, blood dripping all over the floor, washing the cut, finding a suitable gauze, and working out how to keep my two fingers from moving too much using my working hand and a bandage. Blood flow stemmed, it was avocado on toast (still thinking of my stomach - see?!) while my left hand was elevated for bit. This cut is going to be a bummer to heal. Seems I can still type though.
18 November 2007
Straya votes
Got an interesting email from Getup.org via a friend:
http://www.howshouldivote.com.au
According to the survey of 20 questions, they suggest which candidate in your electorate has views that most line up with yours. Depending on how many undecided people do this quiz and take on the recommendations, it could have an interesting effect on the election. For example, my best "match" was with an Independent who I'd never heard of before, and wouldn't have bothered voting for. Kind of an interesting way to find out about candidates running for your seat.
Another useful site is the ABC election site:
http://www.abc.net.au/elections/federal/2007/
complete with Anthony Green's (the very properly spoken gentleman who gives a run-down of the swings in each seat vs the % of votes counted) election guide. I had a look around the site last week, and didn't realise, for example, that I was in SUCH as safe Labor seat.
http://www.howshouldivote.com.au
According to the survey of 20 questions, they suggest which candidate in your electorate has views that most line up with yours. Depending on how many undecided people do this quiz and take on the recommendations, it could have an interesting effect on the election. For example, my best "match" was with an Independent who I'd never heard of before, and wouldn't have bothered voting for. Kind of an interesting way to find out about candidates running for your seat.
Another useful site is the ABC election site:
http://www.abc.net.au/elections/federal/2007/
complete with Anthony Green's (the very properly spoken gentleman who gives a run-down of the swings in each seat vs the % of votes counted) election guide. I had a look around the site last week, and didn't realise, for example, that I was in SUCH as safe Labor seat.
Upwardly mobile young men
Well the clumsy first few weeks of motherhood all seem like a distant memory (I won't put a link there because I just don't want to go there).
These days motherhood is quite different. We have a little boy who is cheeky, gives us impish grins before embarking on something he knows he shouldn't. He will cuddle on occasion, but now I mostly get cuddles when I have to carry him through crowded or dangerous places, and he decides he has a better view up high.
He sings (often a song that goes like this: "doidey doidey doi!"), he babbles, but occasionally it sounds like something in context (e.g "Open the box?", "read-a-book?"), and he uses plenty of single words e.g. bubble, Daddy, water, shoe, car, pole, tree, hat, dog, ball, book, banana. He understands plenty more, and we can ask him simple questions and get either a shake of the head or a look of vague interest in reply. Some words have multiple meanings - e.g. "shoe" is not just a noun. It accompanies him getting his shoes and dumping them at my feet, dropping a massive hint that he wants to go outside. Then he gets my shoes and does the same (he knows which shoes are whose!), and maybe even his hat!
And he sleeps - mostly through the night, and mostly once a day for a good 2 hours. Sometimes he even voluntarily takes himself off to bed. And he sleeps in travel cots and at child care. And in the car and pram if the time is right, staying asleep as I pick him up, snoring away on my shoulder.
He walks around with his hands on his hips, in the air, or behind his back, as if he hasn't worked out how to swing them casually yet. He stumbles into a little run, and falls over less and less. He stops and squats and plays with puddles and leaves, and looks up at adults walking past and waves "ayooo!". He falls over and gets bruises and cuts, he wails for a bit and lets us pick him up and kiss and cuddle him, then he either gets distracted by something, or his cries settle down to a few big huffs of breath. He's stopped liking baths and started taking showers.
He smiles at us winningly. He bosses us around, and tells us we should put our oven mit back on its hook! He eats many things, but most things he'll refuse at first (with the exception of banana, most other fruit, yoghurt). He is able to feed himself for a bit, until he starts to lose interest part way through the meal. He loves it when we all sit down together to eat, and his head turns around from side to side, to grin at me or his father in turn.
If you can't read between the lines, I'm loving it!
These days motherhood is quite different. We have a little boy who is cheeky, gives us impish grins before embarking on something he knows he shouldn't. He will cuddle on occasion, but now I mostly get cuddles when I have to carry him through crowded or dangerous places, and he decides he has a better view up high.
He sings (often a song that goes like this: "doidey doidey doi!"), he babbles, but occasionally it sounds like something in context (e.g "Open the box?", "read-a-book?"), and he uses plenty of single words e.g. bubble, Daddy, water, shoe, car, pole, tree, hat, dog, ball, book, banana. He understands plenty more, and we can ask him simple questions and get either a shake of the head or a look of vague interest in reply. Some words have multiple meanings - e.g. "shoe" is not just a noun. It accompanies him getting his shoes and dumping them at my feet, dropping a massive hint that he wants to go outside. Then he gets my shoes and does the same (he knows which shoes are whose!), and maybe even his hat!
And he sleeps - mostly through the night, and mostly once a day for a good 2 hours. Sometimes he even voluntarily takes himself off to bed. And he sleeps in travel cots and at child care. And in the car and pram if the time is right, staying asleep as I pick him up, snoring away on my shoulder.
He walks around with his hands on his hips, in the air, or behind his back, as if he hasn't worked out how to swing them casually yet. He stumbles into a little run, and falls over less and less. He stops and squats and plays with puddles and leaves, and looks up at adults walking past and waves "ayooo!". He falls over and gets bruises and cuts, he wails for a bit and lets us pick him up and kiss and cuddle him, then he either gets distracted by something, or his cries settle down to a few big huffs of breath. He's stopped liking baths and started taking showers.
He smiles at us winningly. He bosses us around, and tells us we should put our oven mit back on its hook! He eats many things, but most things he'll refuse at first (with the exception of banana, most other fruit, yoghurt). He is able to feed himself for a bit, until he starts to lose interest part way through the meal. He loves it when we all sit down together to eat, and his head turns around from side to side, to grin at me or his father in turn.
If you can't read between the lines, I'm loving it!
go away... no... stay?
A week of humid hazy air, stuffy indoors, and sticky nights has me thinking "go away summer, we're not ready for you yet!". I wanted to get more wear out of my winter clothes before I realised my summer wardrobe had hit rock bottom. I wanted to be snuggly under my bedding before starting to sleep with only a sheet and having to work out where to store my quilt in the meantime.
But then... leisurely swims, cotton dresses and sun hats, gin and tonics on the balcony as the sun goes down, outings to the beach, bare feet, salads and summer fruit...
Enough to sway me for 6 months, I think.
But then... leisurely swims, cotton dresses and sun hats, gin and tonics on the balcony as the sun goes down, outings to the beach, bare feet, salads and summer fruit...
Enough to sway me for 6 months, I think.
10 November 2007
My first Lego invitation
Took E-chan off to Playgroup on Thurday morning as I do most Thursdays - it's held at an afterschool care cottage within the school grounds of one of the local primary schools. It was raining and I thought best get out and stimulate him before he goes bonkers at home.
A true child of the drought, E-chan has only just discovered puddles. So there he was running around, his puddle homing chip in full function, and there was me chasing him with his little raincoat, attempting to get it on him before he got too cold and damp (as I was getting!).
I had been chatting with a 5-year-old boy and his mum a bit on Thursday, and as E-chan and I were making our way home towards the gates, he ran after us and started talking about lego. I'm not sure why, but he might have heard me chatting with his mum about it. He mentioned something about having a certain set of lego at home - to be honest, I couldn't understand everything he was telling me, but as I'm keen about lego in general, I nodded enthusiastically and asked him if it was big or small lego. To which he said he had both, and it's really good and we should come over and play with it sometime!!
COOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL!
A true child of the drought, E-chan has only just discovered puddles. So there he was running around, his puddle homing chip in full function, and there was me chasing him with his little raincoat, attempting to get it on him before he got too cold and damp (as I was getting!).
I had been chatting with a 5-year-old boy and his mum a bit on Thursday, and as E-chan and I were making our way home towards the gates, he ran after us and started talking about lego. I'm not sure why, but he might have heard me chatting with his mum about it. He mentioned something about having a certain set of lego at home - to be honest, I couldn't understand everything he was telling me, but as I'm keen about lego in general, I nodded enthusiastically and asked him if it was big or small lego. To which he said he had both, and it's really good and we should come over and play with it sometime!!
COOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL!
Saturday nite jukebox!
(Who said parents have no night life? We do - it's just largely home-based)
Tonight, the jukebox is 80's, complete with The Specials, Adam and the Ants, Cindi Lauper...
"Get into the groove boy..." (arms in the air and dance whilst showing off your armpit hair! damn which I hadn't shaved mine a week or so back!)
And now, for love song dedications... Bryan Adams with "Heaven". Get out your ciggy lighters and sway!!
Tonight, the jukebox is 80's, complete with The Specials, Adam and the Ants, Cindi Lauper...
"Get into the groove boy..." (arms in the air and dance whilst showing off your armpit hair! damn which I hadn't shaved mine a week or so back!)
And now, for love song dedications... Bryan Adams with "Heaven". Get out your ciggy lighters and sway!!
08 November 2007
Yes I think my house was making me sick...
I've been watching a show on Telly when I can these past few weeks:
http://isyourhousekillingyou.sbs.com.au/home/. I lived in a damp-infested terrace a few years back and this is when a lot of my allergy problems got worse. I didn't know you could be allergic to mould at the time, had a vague idea about dust allergies, but didn't really manage it properly. We moved out of there, and things improved a bit, but then I went to an allergy clinic, got tested (and yes I do have allergies to mould, dust and pollens), and was put on an elimination diet.
There were days where I'd wake up (after a night on a dust mitey pillow, in the right kind of weather), and I'd look in the mirrow and almost scream with fright (see left), except my face was so sore and sensitive. You can't cover it with make-up, as that only makes things worse. Most days, I'd have to soldier on, feeling quite self-conscious, and putting up with stares and unsolicited (and uninformed) advice on what clears up eczema. In addition, my nose ran like a dripping tap (I'd thought this was normal by now).
It occurred to me that things - toxins, allergens etc - must have built up in my system and caused my system to overload and break out into symptoms. But I didn't really have any scientific knowledge to prove to me that my home environment may have been a major cause of my problems, say when compared to food intolerances.
Well this show has been enlightening. Poor families buy houses they can afford only to find out they have dreadful damp problems and their house is riddled with mould. Other families are inadvertently introducing toxic chemicals into their home, through cleaning solvents, treated pine, pesticides. I've been trying to manage dust levels in our new place for a few years, but I could be better at it - vacuum more often, air the bed, hot wash sheets etc etc. In addition, I think my allergy shots (pollen and dust mite) are beginning to have a desensitising effect (should be complete in a year or so). And I've gone low chemical with our cleaning materials - microfibre cloths, earth friendly, bicarb and vinegar etc. Did you know that vinegar is the most effective treatment of mould, and that bleach may even just provide mould with more food?
Anyhow, this above web site is worth a squiz if you want some pointers on potential issues your home might have.
http://isyourhousekillingyou.sbs.com.au/home/. I lived in a damp-infested terrace a few years back and this is when a lot of my allergy problems got worse. I didn't know you could be allergic to mould at the time, had a vague idea about dust allergies, but didn't really manage it properly. We moved out of there, and things improved a bit, but then I went to an allergy clinic, got tested (and yes I do have allergies to mould, dust and pollens), and was put on an elimination diet.
There were days where I'd wake up (after a night on a dust mitey pillow, in the right kind of weather), and I'd look in the mirrow and almost scream with fright (see left), except my face was so sore and sensitive. You can't cover it with make-up, as that only makes things worse. Most days, I'd have to soldier on, feeling quite self-conscious, and putting up with stares and unsolicited (and uninformed) advice on what clears up eczema. In addition, my nose ran like a dripping tap (I'd thought this was normal by now).
It occurred to me that things - toxins, allergens etc - must have built up in my system and caused my system to overload and break out into symptoms. But I didn't really have any scientific knowledge to prove to me that my home environment may have been a major cause of my problems, say when compared to food intolerances.
Well this show has been enlightening. Poor families buy houses they can afford only to find out they have dreadful damp problems and their house is riddled with mould. Other families are inadvertently introducing toxic chemicals into their home, through cleaning solvents, treated pine, pesticides. I've been trying to manage dust levels in our new place for a few years, but I could be better at it - vacuum more often, air the bed, hot wash sheets etc etc. In addition, I think my allergy shots (pollen and dust mite) are beginning to have a desensitising effect (should be complete in a year or so). And I've gone low chemical with our cleaning materials - microfibre cloths, earth friendly, bicarb and vinegar etc. Did you know that vinegar is the most effective treatment of mould, and that bleach may even just provide mould with more food?
Anyhow, this above web site is worth a squiz if you want some pointers on potential issues your home might have.
01 November 2007
No, honey, don't sit down in the middle of the road...
...is what we are finding ourselves saying a bit lately. A few times we've crossed the road to get to the park, and half way through he's lost balance, fell down on his bottom, and decided the road or a leaf or a pebble is more interesting than walking. Luckily, it's a quiet road, so rarely is there a car in sight. But nonetheless, time to instill some road sense. Not sure how much of an impact it's making yet, but repeated lessons of "stop, look both ways, nothing coming now quick! Walk! keep walking, quickly!! We're nearly theeeeeeere..... Good boy!!! Good walking!!" has to sink in at some point, yes?
20 October 2007
Chronic disease...
Working amongst researchers that study the major chronic diseases (heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and obesity) starts to have an effect on you. I'm not particularly unhealthy, but nor am I 100% healthy. I have a bit of a chocolate habit. And I love hot chips, but can restrain myself from these better than I can chocolate.
Anyway, here's what I hear at work: I hear about chronic, non-communicable diseases having a large burden on the health system; chronic heart failure and pulmonary obstructions; Type 2 Diabetes.
It all starts to sink in.
Your ears start to prick up when your parents talk about a friend being diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes.
You worry about people of your parent's generation being diagnosed with high blood pressure and heart problems.
You think about how much more sugar you must be eating compared to your parent's generation, and how you will be doomed unless you start doing something now.
BUT THEN - I'm sure I'm eating less fat and salt than they did. And probably walking and exercising more than they did at my age.
But anyway, something to watch out for over the next 10 years as I enter my 40's. At some point, what goes into your body and how much exercise you do needs to be taken seriously.
I chatted a bit about this sort of stuff generally to my Dad a few weeks ago, and he "could not stress strongly enough" that breast cancer is something I should be watchful for. It seems that as well as my paternal Grandmother having this (not fatally) in her 70's, my paternal Grandfather's family was "riddled with it", and recently it has made an appearance on my mother's side of the family, albeit in a fairly distant relation. I'm going to have to get more informed about it - I'm fairly ignorant about the genetics of the condition for starters...
Anyway, here's what I hear at work: I hear about chronic, non-communicable diseases having a large burden on the health system; chronic heart failure and pulmonary obstructions; Type 2 Diabetes.
It all starts to sink in.
Your ears start to prick up when your parents talk about a friend being diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes.
You worry about people of your parent's generation being diagnosed with high blood pressure and heart problems.
You think about how much more sugar you must be eating compared to your parent's generation, and how you will be doomed unless you start doing something now.
BUT THEN - I'm sure I'm eating less fat and salt than they did. And probably walking and exercising more than they did at my age.
But anyway, something to watch out for over the next 10 years as I enter my 40's. At some point, what goes into your body and how much exercise you do needs to be taken seriously.
I chatted a bit about this sort of stuff generally to my Dad a few weeks ago, and he "could not stress strongly enough" that breast cancer is something I should be watchful for. It seems that as well as my paternal Grandmother having this (not fatally) in her 70's, my paternal Grandfather's family was "riddled with it", and recently it has made an appearance on my mother's side of the family, albeit in a fairly distant relation. I'm going to have to get more informed about it - I'm fairly ignorant about the genetics of the condition for starters...
A baby that clings rather than separates...
doesn't that sound like a rice commercial?
We've had a difficult month in some ways - E-chan has been sick 3 times, and one of those (gastro) went through the whole family (I can confidently say that the incubation time of that particular gastro virus was 2 days). Imagine me running about the house cleaning up after a gastro-ey child - the futon couch was washed and hauled out over the balcony to air and dry, Japanese-style, and 4 loads of washing were done in one day (my record). These bugs tear through the community, through playgroups, day care, kindergartens, and there isn't much you can do about it but grin and bear it, until your kid's immune system has some clout of it's own. Oh, and washing your hands and certain surfaces regularly helps.
The last ailment E-chan has was a fever. After 3 days of fever, I took him to the Dr, who usefully informed me he had a sore throat (that explained the lack of appetite) and gave me useful advice on his pain relief. After both Mum and Dad re-arranged their work schedules for the week, E-chan had almost a week away from his regular child-care. A whole week with mum and dad, it seems, is enough to knock him out of his routine. As a result, he was lacklustre and pouty in care on Tuesday and Wednesday, and when I took him to Playgroup on Thursday, he stuck to my leg like a limpet. I took this seriously, and began to worry something was wrong, but then what do you know, on Friday he was back to his usual self at child care.
On Friday when I went to pick him up, I found him in a pack of 5-6 kids between 1 and 2 years old, busily doing something or other. He beamed at me and walked over to be picked up, and waved goodbye to his friends and carers. This is more normal.
For us, having no parents or close relly's in the city to help look after E-chan regularly, child care has been a necessity. We also view it as a good thing for him - we worry about him being too sheltered seeing mostly us only. Being cared for by others has been good for him - he's learned to be settled by others, learned to sleep in different places. He's a quiet, observant child (in public anyway, at home he's less restrained) and hanging out with other kids teaches him to stand up for himself a bit when other kids decide they want to touch his hair (ie whack his head), poke his eyes, snatch his toys, or pour sand over his head. So I basically don't know what we would have done had he not shown some return to his usual character soon - we just don't have any other options.
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But anyway, he's started walking. Did I mention this on my blog? He's now able to walk all the way to the park, about 200m, with little stops along the way, to check out doorways, leaves, moreton bay figs, cars, sidestreets. And he's getting bossy. He points to the swing next to him at the park until I sit in it and swing along with him. He pats the floor next to him to indicate that I must go and sit alongside him, he points here and there, he dumps books in my lap, he demands to eat what I'm eating (if there is something he's allergic to in there, I have to go into full-on distract mode, otherwise he may even tantrum until I give him some).
Ah yes, the tantrums have started in earnest. And it's getting harder to divert him from them... But he's also learning more words, showing lots of affection for us, clever, funny, bringing cups, plates and bowls back into the kitchen (without being told to), and doing a whole lot of amazing things that just astound us!!
We've had a difficult month in some ways - E-chan has been sick 3 times, and one of those (gastro) went through the whole family (I can confidently say that the incubation time of that particular gastro virus was 2 days). Imagine me running about the house cleaning up after a gastro-ey child - the futon couch was washed and hauled out over the balcony to air and dry, Japanese-style, and 4 loads of washing were done in one day (my record). These bugs tear through the community, through playgroups, day care, kindergartens, and there isn't much you can do about it but grin and bear it, until your kid's immune system has some clout of it's own. Oh, and washing your hands and certain surfaces regularly helps.
The last ailment E-chan has was a fever. After 3 days of fever, I took him to the Dr, who usefully informed me he had a sore throat (that explained the lack of appetite) and gave me useful advice on his pain relief. After both Mum and Dad re-arranged their work schedules for the week, E-chan had almost a week away from his regular child-care. A whole week with mum and dad, it seems, is enough to knock him out of his routine. As a result, he was lacklustre and pouty in care on Tuesday and Wednesday, and when I took him to Playgroup on Thursday, he stuck to my leg like a limpet. I took this seriously, and began to worry something was wrong, but then what do you know, on Friday he was back to his usual self at child care.
On Friday when I went to pick him up, I found him in a pack of 5-6 kids between 1 and 2 years old, busily doing something or other. He beamed at me and walked over to be picked up, and waved goodbye to his friends and carers. This is more normal.
For us, having no parents or close relly's in the city to help look after E-chan regularly, child care has been a necessity. We also view it as a good thing for him - we worry about him being too sheltered seeing mostly us only. Being cared for by others has been good for him - he's learned to be settled by others, learned to sleep in different places. He's a quiet, observant child (in public anyway, at home he's less restrained) and hanging out with other kids teaches him to stand up for himself a bit when other kids decide they want to touch his hair (ie whack his head), poke his eyes, snatch his toys, or pour sand over his head. So I basically don't know what we would have done had he not shown some return to his usual character soon - we just don't have any other options.
----------
But anyway, he's started walking. Did I mention this on my blog? He's now able to walk all the way to the park, about 200m, with little stops along the way, to check out doorways, leaves, moreton bay figs, cars, sidestreets. And he's getting bossy. He points to the swing next to him at the park until I sit in it and swing along with him. He pats the floor next to him to indicate that I must go and sit alongside him, he points here and there, he dumps books in my lap, he demands to eat what I'm eating (if there is something he's allergic to in there, I have to go into full-on distract mode, otherwise he may even tantrum until I give him some).
Ah yes, the tantrums have started in earnest. And it's getting harder to divert him from them... But he's also learning more words, showing lots of affection for us, clever, funny, bringing cups, plates and bowls back into the kitchen (without being told to), and doing a whole lot of amazing things that just astound us!!
Dumbledore outed!!
http://www.smh.com.au/news/books/jk-rowling-reveals-that-one-of-her-characters-is-gay/2007/10/20/1192301087070.html
I have to say at this point I didn't see this coming, but neither am I shocked. I lack a strong gaydar - by this I mean that if someone isn't a love interest for me, I really don't mind what your sexual orientation is, and don't spend a lot of time pondering it. Well I do a bit when getting to know people, to avoid making embarrassing assumptions about their partner's gender or gender of preferance that turn out to be wrong. But that's it.
I have to say at this point I didn't see this coming, but neither am I shocked. I lack a strong gaydar - by this I mean that if someone isn't a love interest for me, I really don't mind what your sexual orientation is, and don't spend a lot of time pondering it. Well I do a bit when getting to know people, to avoid making embarrassing assumptions about their partner's gender or gender of preferance that turn out to be wrong. But that's it.
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