Vote For Real Food

When it comes to food, I am a big believer that fresh is best (I don't mean to sound like an advertisement there!). Steve and I like to eat healthy, non-packaged foods and we pride ourselves on doing the same with Abbey. She has never had packet food and rarely has sweets (when it does happen, it's usually when one of her grandmothers overrules me!).

I simply don't see the need for her to feast herself on sugar and processed foods. You could say I'm a mean Mum... I say I'm just making the most of having full control over what she eats.

We were recently away with some friends for a few days and, with a hectic timetable, the easiest option was to eat out each night. We soon discovered that a kids' menu consists of four options: nuggets and chips, fish and chips, chicken and chips and dim sims and chips. These meals usually come with a free softdrink. Lovely. A highly nutritious combination of deep fried food and sugar. 

I went along with this for the first couple of days. After all, I'm not a complete killjoy. But the problem was that, as Abbey was teething, she had lost much of her appetite. This made me all the more keen to ensure that what she did eat was healthy, to get her through her very active days.

One of the last places we went to for dinner greatly impressed me. The kids' menu took up an entire page and, while there were nuggets/fish and chips options, there were also risottos, roast dinners and pastas. I was so excited to have some options for my daughter, and quickly chose some pasta for her.

Unfortunately, the fuss caused by this meal was ridiculous. The meal came out - a bowl of pasta, on a plate covered with chips. Abbey saw the chips and wanted nothing to do with the pasta. I refused, taking the plate away, and a huge tantrum ensued - the type that makes me want to fall into a hole in the floor when surrounded by a restaurant full of other diners. Steve took her outside to distract her and the plate of chips was removed (perhaps into our friends' stomachs, or taken by a waiter... I didn't care as long as it was gone).

Luckily, when she came back, having forgotten about the chips, to see a bowl of pasta in front of her, she was happy and ate it up. Followed by a pile of vegies from a friend's plate!

My question is - why do restaurants think kids should only ever eat chips?

What I'm planning on doing from now on is querying the kids' meals when I place an order. If there are no other options other than deep fried foods, I'll ask for something. I will also ask for, say, milk instead of softdrink for her, and perhaps a small fruit platter instead of ice cream for dessert.

If we all ask for better options for our children, restaurants would be forced to change their way of thinking. I think our kids deserve it.

Megan

One And A Half

She makes us laugh. So often people we know and strangers in the street comment on how funny she is. I agree. She has always been a little character - it's just more obvious to everyone else now.

She is a chatterbox. I wrote a list of all her words recently. There are more than thirty of them. And she really does love being able to tell us what she wants: from 'Nor' (more, used for when she wants food) to 'Dor' (draw), the friendly 'Ha-yo' (hello) and the unfortunate translation of bye - 'Die!' said with a smile and a big wave, even to cars just passing us in the street. Oh, and the phrase that makes her sound like eighteen months going on eighty: 'Dear-oh-dear-oh-dear'.

She is full of energy. She doesn't stop. Ever. She is a busy little person, constantly organising and arranging things around the house, running in and out between the house and the backyard, and grabbing my hand to lead me around and involve me in her game.

She copies everything. We have to be very careful what we do and say, because she does the same. From words and phrases to the tone of voice used, to little mannerisms like standing leaning against something with her ankles crossed or closing a bottom drawer with her foot.

She knows what she wants. When we ask her a question, she now answers with either a very emphatic 'No no no no no no no no no' (said not in a harsh tone, but a smaller, quite dramatic voice) or an excited 'Ya!' (which makes her Omi very excited that she can say a word in German).

She is incredibly brave. From burning her hand to being literally thrown backwards from the force of banging into a door, from grazes, scrapes and bruises, to having a ball kicked right into her stomach - she doesn't let injuries or pain bother her. In her world, there is too much to do and too much to explore, to allow time for self-pity.

She is independent. Cuddles are a no-no (except on her terms), helping her do something is not allowed and she is only just starting to come around to the whole hand-holding thing when we go for a walk.

She is beautiful. She is Abbey.


Megan

Driving Holiday With Baby - Part I

Barren. Red. Flat. You may not be able to think of much else to associate with the centre of our great land. That is, until you have been there. 

In the years prior to having a baby, Steve and I went on a few trips overseas. We always wanted to see Australia together, it was just a matter of timing. Our first chance came after Abbey was born. When she was eight months old, we took her on a driving holiday, a round trip of around 7,000 kilometres including side trips.

Some thought we were crazy. We said we just wanted to see new things together.

We had three weeks of driving, camping, sightseeing and looking after a baby on the road ahead of us. We said we would take it slowly, but in the back of our minds, I think we always knew we would struggle with that. (You couldn't really call us relaxed travellers, as proven by our honeymoon, when we went to the Cook Islands for a 'do nothing' holiday. After a day of relaxing we began hiking through the mountains on the island.) So we made it from home in Melbourne to Adelaide in a day (eight hours of driving time), then continued at that pace until we hit the beginning of our destinations in Central Australia. 

Luckily, our baby was a good traveller, despite coming down with gastro on the way to Adelaide. That was not the fun part of the trip.

Over a few blog posts, I'll tell you about our adventures through the Red Centre, from Melbourne to Alice Springs and back again. And the baby who sat patiently in the car, loved her 'crawling stops', played in red dirt, occasionally reminded us that she was sick of the car, and was carried around various walking tracks. Oh and, um, some wineries....


Megan

Book Review Update

I've been so busy reading and working on other projects that I have neglected my blog a little lately. I'll try to improve this week. In the meantime, here are the links to my latest contributions to Tania McCartney's Kids' Book Review website - I've been falling in love with new finds and reliving old favourites.


Matilda by Roald Dahl - one of my all time favourite books - read my thoughts on it here.


The Short And Incredibly Happy Life Of Riley by Colin Thompson - a unique way of communicating a strong message - read my review here.


Vivi Finds Bean by Vanessa Holle - an irresistible tale of one girl's travels across the world - read about it here.


Megan

Motherhood: Oppressive or Fulfilling?

There is an article currently doing the rounds on Twitter, generating lots of discussion. The headline: 'Is motherhood a form of oppression - thanks to breastfeeding, organic purees and eco nappies, the baby has become a tyrant, says a bestselling book in France'. Piqued your interest? You can read the article here.


French philosopher, Elisabeth Badinter, has written a book which is basically summarised in this article as being about how French women are happier because they are not slaves to their children. Things like formula, disposable nappies and childcare are there to free women; their opposites are oppressors to women.


Of course, these type of statements generate a lot of controversy, but where do you stand on this?


Me? Well, to be perfectly honest, I could relate to it.


It sums up how I thought I would be as a mother, before I had Abbey. I did not want to breastfeed, I wanted to continue my corporate career and ladder-climbing, and was perfectly happy at the thought of putting my baby into childcare to do so. After all, everyone knows that a happy mother equals a happy baby - and those were the things that would make me happy.


What actually happened was this: I breastfed Abbey for nine months (she had an aversion to bottles), I gave up my career because of circumstances at work that made me unhappy to be there any longer. Feeling guilty about seeking other full-time employment for what I viewed as selfish reasons, and with no quality part-time roles available, I became a stay-at-home-mum.


And I'm lucky to be able to be home with my little girl, to be involved in every aspect of her life and to see her learn new things all the time. I love that. Spending my days breastfeeding and washing nappies? Not so much.


Over the last eighteen months, I have needed more. That is not something that women feel they can say. Being a mother should be enough, right? For me, no. All of a sudden I had so much time on my hands. There are daytime naps, for example. And evenings, many of which I spend alone once Abbey is asleep, as Steve has lots of commitments and hobbies. All this time, for someone who was used to being busy, having lists upon lists of things she needed to achieve each day, and a mind as non-stop as mine, is a form of torture.


In the search for something to feed my mind, I began writing. And then I stumbled across some work that I do from home. These things made me happy - especially the writing.


Now, I'm grateful that I have had the time to take (and make) opportunities to work towards a lifelong dream. And I can be here for Abbey at the same time. Yes, a happy mother equals a happy toddler, and I am at my happiest when I can use my sense of ambition. And being a mother who does some work rather than crying every day is a much better example to set for my daughter.


Every decision I have made since Abbey was born has been made with her at the forefront of my mind. And as her mother, I feel I should end this post by saying how much I love her and value the time we spend together, and every sacrifice is worthwhile. But that should go without saying. Of course, being a mother is worth more than anything to me, seeing her grow and learn is the best thing in my life.


But in reality, there is a 'me' as well. And lately I have been wondering - is it possible that I gave up too much for her? Is a woman, as the article suggests, entitled to not give all of herself to her children? What I do know is that I have done the best I can, but now there is more balance to our lives, and we are all happier for it.


Megan

Famous Places

With all the '99 Things' posts, talking about places you've been and things you've done, Thea at Do I Really Wanna Blog? was inspired to take it to another level. She posted pictures of herself at some famous places, and wondered who had been to some of the same spots - creating a connection of having been at the same place, different time.


Here are my pictures in response to her 'challenge':

Buckingham Palace, 2006

Bath, 2006

Champs Elysees, 2006

The Matterhorn, Switzerland, 2006

Venice, 2006

Leaning Tower of Pisa (the cheesy photo that set this whole thing off!), 2006

Mouth of Truth, Rome, 2006

Eiffel Tower, 2007

Abbey Road, 2007

Sydney Harbour, 2008

Uluru, 2009

What famous places have you been to? I'd love to see them!

Megan

Dreams Are What We Are Made Of

Live a life
Where possibilities are rife;
Dreams are what we are made of.


Megan

99 Things

I saw this on Thea's and Tania's blogs and thought it could be fun!


Just copy and paste these 99 things onto your blog and bold the things you HAVE done... here are mine:

1. Started your own blog



2. Slept under the stars



3. Played in a band



4. Visited Hawaii



5. Watched a meteor shower



6. Given more than you can afford to charity



7. Been to DisneyWorld



8. Climbed a mountain (several mountains, in fact)



9. Held a praying mantis 



10. Sang a solo



11. Bungee jumped



12. Visited Paris (twice! Lucky me!)

13. Watched a lightning storm



14. Taught yourself an art from scratch (mosaics) 



15. Adopted a child



16. Had food poisoning



17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty

18. Grown your own vegetables



19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France



20. Slept on an overnight train



21. Had a pillow fight



22. Hitch hiked



23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
(and put on the fake sick voice...)

24. Built a snow fort

25. Held a lamb (we raised a few in our backyard when I was little)

26. Gone skinny dipping



27. Run a Marathon



28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice 


29. Seen a total eclipse



30. Watched a sunrise or sunset



31. Hit a home run



32. Been on a cruise
(I think sailing around Croatia counts...)


33. Seen Niagara Falls in person



34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors (England)



35. Seen an Amish community



36. Taught yourself a new language



37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied (note the past-tense)



38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
(and have the cheesy photo to prove it)


39. Gone rock climbing

40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
(and spent our whole time in Florence queuing)


41. Sung karaoke (well, I've technically only mimed with a big group...)



42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt



43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant



44. Visited Africa



45. Walked on a beach by moonlight



46. Been transported in an ambulance



47. Had your portrait painted

48. Gone deep sea fishing



50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris



51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling



52. Kissed in the rain



53. Played in the mud
(mud pie, anyone?)


54. Gone to a drive-in theatre



55. Been in a movie



56. Visited the Great Wall of China



57. Started a business (sort of - I do consulting work)



58. Taken a martial arts class



59. Visited Russia



60. Served at a soup kitchen



61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies



62. Gone whale watching



63. Got flowers for no reason


64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma


65. Gone sky diving



66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp



67. Bounced a cheque



68. Flown in a helicopter



69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
(my Popple!)


70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial



71. Eaten caviar



72. Pieced a quilt



73. Stood in Times Square



74. Toured the Everglades



75. Been fired from a job



76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London



77. Broken a bone



78. Been a passenger on a motorcycle



79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person



80. Published a book



81. Visited the Vatican
(and saw the Pope - from a distance)

82. Bought a brand new car



83. Walked in Jerusalem



84. Had your picture in the newspaper
(with Abbey and Santa last Christmas!)


85. Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Year’s Eve



86. Visited the White House



87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating



88. Had chickenpox



89. Saved someone’s life



90. Sat on a jury



91. Met someone famous



92. Joined a book club



93. Got a tattoo
(and having it removed)


94. Had a baby



95. Seen the Alamo in person



96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake



97. Been involved in a law suit
(only managing a couple through work)


98. Owned a cell phone



99. Been stung by a bee


Megan

I Miss My Honesty

There are so many things children have to learn. Walking, talking, the difference between right and wrong, reading and numbers. And they go about their lives in an open, honest manner.

Eventually, they learn not to be quite so honest.

When I was little, I was renowned for my bluntness. If a friend was at my house playing and I was tired and wanted to be alone, I would tell them to go home. Literally. I'd say, 'I'm sick of playing with you now, you should go'.  Of course, my parents were horrified when I said things like that, but I couldn't understand why. What's so wrong about saying what you think?

Even in high school, I stuck to this theory. I remember a girl who never spoke to me once asked if she could borrow some stationery. 'No', I said, 'You don't like me, so why should I lend you my stuff?' Well, it's the truth.

Then I began learning something. Perhaps I was a late bloomer in this regard, but I started to realise that sometimes it is not necessary to be so honest. Or, rather, there are more tactful ways to do it. I noticed that when others were sick of someone being at their house, they would offer subtle hints instead of telling them outright.

I have to say, though, that I love children's honesty. I admire their ability to just say what's on their mind. Whether it is in regard to being given a present they already have ('Oh. Another one?' a friend's child once said to me), asking questions that embarrass adults, or speaking about death in an open way, I like it. And I like that you know where you stand.

The problem I have is that, in trialling my skills in tactfulness, I feel that I may have gone too far. I've lost a unique part of myself that I always loved - my honesty. I always used to tell people not to worry about whether I was annoyed about something, that I would just tell them. But I don't do that anymore. Instead, I hold my feelings in and almost burst with the pressure. They sit there, festering inside me, building up, until I blurt out stupid things (usually after a few drinks) to release them. I end up hurting people more by doing this, and I also know that I'm not being true to myself.

This brings me to one conclusion: if I say things as I need to, my thoughts will be channelled appropriately and I will be able to discuss issues sensibly with others. I will be a happier, more easygoing person without all those unaired feelings hanging around, tying knots inside me.

So maybe, just maybe, I should go back to my most basic human instinct: honesty. Pure honesty (perhaps with the 'brutal' part from my childhood removed). 

What do you think? Do you ever wish you could be as honest as a child?

Megan

One Of My Favourites

Remember the book Seven Little Australians? First published in 1894, it's been a cherished book for several generations of kids and young adults. I relived it over the weekend, and you can see my review at Kids' Book Review.




Megan

March Fun - Week 2

I'm not into murdering birds and certainly not by stoning them to death, but I'm going to do two things at the same time here anyway...

I have received another blog award! Given to me by the beautiful Thea over at Do I Really Wanna Blog? this is the Happy 101 award.

The rules are:

"to compile a list of at least 10 things that make me happy, try to do at least one of those things today, and then pass this award on to blogs that in turn 'make my day'."


This fits in with my month of FUN, so I'll share some things that have made me happy this last week:

1. Chatting to Steve as we go for a long walk together.
2. Having a 'laugh-off' with Abbey (this is where we laugh at each other and, laughter being contagious, sit for ages just laughing - this cannot be planned, it must be a spontaneous moment for it to be funny).
3. Seeing my family (parents, sister, brothers, in-laws, nephews and nieces).
4. Having a glass (or a bottle...) of champagne and/or wine with a gorgeous friend, while talking away the whole time.
5. Writing, especially when I have good ideas - lots of writing done this week!
6. Reading. I've loved having some time this week to catch up on some reading. I've been feeling a little nostalgic, so have been reading some old faves from childhood. I'm doing reviews on some of them for the Kids' Book Review website, so watch this space.
7. Singing loudly to daggy music - I've done lots of that this week too!
8. Playing with my daughter, nephew, niece and friends' kids, running around laughing with them and kicking 'goals' with a ball.
9. Watching Abbey enjoy her first time splashing in puddles.
10. Coming home after a trip away, sleeping in my lovely comfortable bed and showering under water with some actual pressure to it.

And now to award some other bloggers. This time I'm going to award the beautiful women who have so far shared their lovely words with us at my new blog, You, Me & Georgie. They have been inspirational, informative, generous, poetic and just, well, gorgeous!

Chantelle at Fat Mum Slim
Melissa at The Things I'd Tell You
Jen at Jemikaan
Carly at Everyone Wants This
Danielle at Danimezza


Megan

A Day In The Life

A day in my life (well, a non-working day anyway!) - to the lyrics of 'A Day In The Life' by the Beatles...


Woke up, to toddler cries,
Did stretches to fix my thighs.
Another day of nothing too much
But toddler wants to play and read stories.
Mem, Spot, again and again
And now it's nap time, a gem.
Sitting down to pen my book,
I began to write and I fell into a dream.


Perhaps I should consider a career as a songwriter? 

PS - this is my first entry in a Blog This challenge. I'll tell you when the voting opens so you can vote for my entry (pretty please)!


Megan

Childhood Obesity - Too Far?

Imagine a chubby toddler, a few rolls remaining on her arms and legs from her months as a rolly baby. Little dimples in those legs that sometimes move faster than she can keep up with.

Do you find this picture cute? Normal? Or revolting? Do you think a chubby toddler is unhealthy?

Would you find it more pleasing if the child were described as skinny?

Childhood obesity has been labelled a modern epidemic. We hear about it through all forms of media: radio, television, newspapers, magazines and the internet. The topic is foremost in our brains when we see children, and so we hear it via discussions between parents, carers and families.

Yes, this is the key to solving the issue, wiping out this epidemic in the next generation. Creating awareness, through strong discussion and debate, is the only way to change the habits of a society. Knowledge is not just power, it is a necessity.

But, amidst it all, are we forgetting something?

Envisage this: a healthy, chubby seventeen-month-old toddler enjoying a piece of birthday cake at a party. A rare sweet treat. Surrounded by other parents and children, she devours it with great relish. A comment is made to the mother: "Don't worry. One day she will stop eating so much and then she'll be skinny".

At times like this, it is lucky that toddlers do not have a full understanding of all they hear and see. 

When did it become a bad thing for a child to enjoy food? At what point did a chubby toddler begin to be perceived as unhealthy and abnormal? And when did we, as a society, decide it was okay to make this kind of remark?

This is the newest problem with childhood obesity: the parental paranoia, the analysis of every child's weight at first glance and the assumption that 'fat' equals 'bad' while 'skinny' is 'good'.

Parents are experts in knowing their own children. We instinctually know so much about them, and we are taught to know all about their growth, development, learning and overall health. But one should never assume to be an authority on a child from another family. We have the knowledge to raise our own children, not the expertise to know what is 'right' or 'normal' for all others.

Fast forward a short time, where the toddler is a child. She understands more and more, and body image issues can begin with one simple comment, whether it is directed at her or overheard. Such a remark, even meant as a harmless joke, could have serious consequences throughout her life.

Unfortunately, we cannot control everything that our children hear. We cannot stop others from saying thoughtless things. What we can do is ensure that the messages within our own household are clear and positive. Knowledge is a necessity: our children need to know they are loved and accepted. They must be taught the difference between healthy and unhealthy, but this must be done by way of setting the right example.

Our role as parents is to take the focus on weight and place it into the context of our own family situation. Because the emphasis on overweight children must surely be starting to take its toll on the mindset of a generation. 

We need to be careful not to turn an international issue into a weight on innocent shoulders, a serious epidemic into an unhealthy obsession with appearance.


Megan 

Kids' Book Review

Another of my book reviews has appeared on the wonderful Kids' Book Review site. 'Josephine Wants To Dance' by Jackie French is a new find and I'm loving this beautiful story!


You can check out the review here.


Thanks!


Megan

March Fun - Week 1

Earlier in the week, I set a challenge: to have FUN! This month is about taking some time away from the daily routine and just do something carefree (read the post where I set the challenge here).

So, today, despite having a million things to do (including packing for five days away, leaving tomorrow morning), Abbey and I stopped and went outside for some fun.

With paint.

Abbey started out a little unsure about the whole thing:

But she soon started getting into the spirit of it:

And she enjoyed painting herself more than the paper:

Painting Mummy's legs was fun too:

We finished with some fun on the swing:

So, did YOU have some fun this week? Don't forget to share your fun in the comments and, if you blog about it, leave us a link so we can take a look!

Thanks!


Megan

Totally Addicted To Buttons

Another Twitter story to go with this post...

I began following Buttons By Lou Lou on Twitter. I can't actually remember how I came across Lou, but I began clicking around in her online store, marvelling at the pure gorgeousness.

There are buttons galore! Buttons on hairties, hairclips, necklaces, magnets, cufflinks. Even buttons for, you know, sewing onto things that need to be buttoned up. Wow!

They are so cute. I wrote something along these lines to Lou on Twitter: 'Not sure about following you, your stuff is too cute and I won't be able to resist it'. After an initial fright, thinking I was saying goodbye, Lou asked me to direct message her my address. For a surprise. I lurve surprises, so I did.

And they arrived today! Check these out:

Abbey's first ponytail! With a beautiful button hairtie...

The other hairties. So cute!

And something for meeeee! How gorgeous is this necklace?

Lou, thank you SO much for sending me this parcel full of button cuteness. I love it all! And I will return to your store to purchase some more additions to my new button collection, very soon...


Click here to check out the beautiful goodies at Buttons By Lou Lou.


And you can follow her lovely blog here.


Megan