NOT Breastfeeding at Playgroup

There has been a lot of debate in the press lately about breast feeding or not.  Extremists will always get their views into the media, and it is important, in my opinion, that they do.  They give us an opportunity to ask ourselves what we think about the issue.

Breast feeding has been something I can do.  Very little drama and a lot of success.  I am grateful that my children have been able to benefit from the intimacy of breast feeding and the health benefits.  Still, there are many other beautiful mother-child relationships for those who bottle fed, what's more their children are also healthy.

I have always advocated to other mummy friends that you do what ever is best for a happy mum and happy baby.  At the point when the decision is being made, or is made that bottle feeding must begin I hear my self consoling friends with "It's ok" and "We can do our best, then we are allowed to bottle feed if we need too".

While I can breast feed I am not quite able to breast feed for as long as some Mums.  At our Steiner playgroup I am always amazed by mothers breast feeding two, three and four year old children.  All mothers have their reasons for breast feeding - for what ever duration, or bottle feeding and hopefully the reason encompasses happiness.

So I can say this and share this - but now I am living it with my second daughter I am struggling!!  E is six months old.  From four months she has shown strong signs of wanting food.  She has been breast fed on demand - unlike my eldest daughter.  She is now on three meals a day and loves her milk and food.  She is happy.

I am less happy, I am tired too.  Consequently, we are almost one week into one bottle of formula a day. She takes the bottle enthusiastically, unlike her sister!  She devours her milk.  She has three teeth, so its nice that the teat gets a hard time instead of me!  Yet I feel a sense of guilt.

When I pulled out the bottle at our beloved play group I felt like a failure.  I have not seen one bottle fed baby there before.  E did not mind one bit.  Actually, I bet nobody minded.  Just me!!  Our play group community are so accepting, and yet I felt guilt.  So silly!

So why have I started to drop breast feeding?  Let me remind my self.

E is ready for more.  I am exhausted.  Hormone fluctuations are making me a little crazy.  Patience is disappearing.  Oh, and here is a wee sketch of what my vivacious eldest daughter got up to today at play group...

That is her a top an eight foot fence.  No one else at play group had the vision to see how to climb the fence.  Kaea does!  And did so twice today!!  The fence neatly separates play group from kindergarten.  Kaea has watched little people playing through the cracks in the fence.  She has wondered through their green kindergarten pastures, past the fountain, rocky edged sandpit, meandering paths to the lush vege garden to feed the chickens.  She has experienced a small sense of loss realising that her friends who once played with her at play group, are now on the other side of the fence.

At almost two and a half she told me she can go to kindy now.  She has been told that when she is three, and can successfully use the toilet she may go to kindy.  Well she can use the toilet and she is three next birthday so I can see why she must be there NOW.  The kindergarten co-ordinator who rescued her from eight feet up (whilst I tried with baby in arm) a little shocked to learn that she was not three for another five months asked me if I thought she would be ready to attend without Mum.  My response, rather sadly was yes.

I am not digressing from the point of this post. Promise.  Kaea is an exuberant, independent learner, who cannot get enough of the world.  I tire from keeping up with or just behind her from a little distance.  She needs my energy as does E.  So to keep up with them both and keep my self going forward I feel that a combination of breast and bottle from now on is the key.

Hopefully we can regain a happy mum, and maintain happy baby and toddler.

Homemade Butter and Quick and Easy Bread

There was quite a bit of cream left over from our pavlova making adventure and usually it ends up going off in our fridge.  Fortunately I had just received my copy of Wendyl Nissen's "Mother's Little Helper" and I was inspired to make butter.  Such a great scientific change effect for Kaea to see, especially since it involved butter her most favourite spread.  Sometimes she even has a small piece of toast with her butter!

We chose Wendyl's suggested method of beating the cream with a little salt to the point of butter with its whey or butter milk separation. Then squeezed the butter milk from the solids, drained off the liquid and continued to squeeze under a tap of running cold water.  Hey presto - butter, real butter!!

Of course you cannot have such a high quality butter without bread.  Kaea and I used to make bread often, but have had a lapse with my second pregnancy and arrival of E.  As much as I love kneading and proving, E is not yet three months old and I feel like I don't quite have the time or energy for proper bread making.

Annabel Langbein has a very, very easy bread recipe.  No kneading required, simple list of ingredients, and the proving is done in the oven.

We loaded our bread dough with sunflower, pumpkin and sesame seeds.  It is delish and reminds me of vogels bread.

We gave it at least ten minutes out of the oven before slicing and lathering in our homemade butter. Yum.

Another fantastic way for the kids to make butter is with a glass jar and a marble.  With marble (sterilised) in jar, add cream and salt if you'd like (it helps with taste and preservation) and shake, shake, shake.  A good work out and lots of fun.

Thanks for the photos Ms Dunn

Here is Annabel's Easy Bread recipe sourced with thanks from "So, So Simple Food"

4 teaspoons honey
2 cups very hot water
2 cups cold water
7 teaspoons yeast

2 3/4 cups whole meal flour
2 3/4 cups strong white flour
3 teaspoons salt
2 cups sunflower seeds

Handful of pumpkin or sunflower seeds to topping (Optional) 

Into a bowl add the honey and the hot water.  Dissolve the honey and add the cold water.
This should now be hand hot water, perfect for yeast to work.  If it is a bit hot, let it cool a little.
Sprinkle yeast on top and let it bloom.
Set aside 5 minutes
In another bowl place the flours and the salt and the sunflower seeds.
Add yeast and water.
Mix and pour into 2 greased loaf tins.
Sprinkle top with Pumpkin or Sunflower seeds if you choose too, I didn't.
Snip top of loaves with scissors or slash with a knife.  I missed this bit.
Into 80C oven for 20 minutes to help rising
Then turn up to 210C and cook a further 30 minutes or more until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.

Oil Spill in our Beautiful Bay

Mr G, local and internationally acclaimed graffiti artist and local artist OD provoking the need for immediate action in the Bay of Plenty to clean our waters of the oil and stranded cargo ship devastating our environment.

So hard to fathom that this is happening in our neighbourhood.

("hui" pronounced "hoo - ee" means to meet)

Poppies Bookstore Voucher Draw

Have you been to your local Poppies Bookshop?
 

I rediscovered ours in Mount Maunganui yesterday.  With the torrential weather we had in the morning I was so please to find shelter in its warm welcoming surroundings saturated in so many high quality books.

I find it difficult to not squeal out loud with excitement when I find great new and loved children's books - and Poppies know just how to stock them.

Even more exciting is being greeted by a passionate retailer.  Our local Poppies store is hosted by Janice, a wonderfully passionate woman whose infectious love for reading won me over!  Of course she offered us excellent retail assistance and showed us through an interactive book - sans pop ups, technological wizardry or add ons, just plain and simple visual imagery, "Press Here" by Herve Tullet. It will have you pressing, shaking, and tapping away. A magical, whimsical book suitable for young and wise with great imaginations.

It is also wonderful to walk into a bookshop who care about children.  There are toys for the little ones, should they tear them selves away from the tantilising books for children on offer.  KB was treated like a real little person in the Mount Maunganui Poppies - and this means heaps to a parent.  Poppies offer story time readings for children, they are great - I have witnessed many children enthralled by the readings.  Now that KB is into books I cannot wait to take her down!!

Poppies at the Mount have recently launched a Facebook page which will include reviews, event announcements, specials and when they will host their children's story times (such fun!).  Join their page to stay up to date and go into the draw for a $25 voucher of reading goodness.  Let them know you found their page through Rochelle at Focussed Lenz.

Other discoveries made and highly recommended reads......

Have you met Lulu?  She came into our hearts around the same time KB started toilet training.  Lulu is a very sassy young lady.  "Lulu's Loo" delighted and motivated KB and continues to do so.  This is an interactive book which captures the essence of toilet training - recognising accidents, triumphs and independence.  The illustrations are a quirky mix of paint and collage.

Lulu is somewhat of a heroin in our house so it was great to discover "Lulu's Lunch".  Another interactive story about Lulu and her picnic.  KB has added this to her Christmas wishlist.

Our two year old would love to recommend these books to other sassy little "Lulu's" out there.  Go track her down!!!

Don't forget to sign up to the Poppies Mount Maunganui Facebook page, mention Rochelle sent you and get your self into the draw for the $25 voucher.

May your weekend find you trapped in a great read!

Ears, Nose, Throat : Natural Remedies & Adjustments

Wednesday's morning awakening by my little treasure...

"Mama, need to see Christie",  

 "Why darling?"

"For a just ment"

"Where?"

"on my ears".

We have visited our family chiropractor "Zest" for almost two years since KB was a month old.  She is so very aware of when her body is misaligned and needs adjusting - it amazes me!

KB has had a runny nose and a slight cough.  Clearly it had progressed and she knew she needed an adjustment.  However, I did not listen as well as I could have.  Consequently we had a restless evening with my little girl coughing through the night wincing with discomfort.  A visit to the Dr suggested she may have an infection and sore throat, so prescribed antibiotics.  Lesson learnt - listen to your daughter who listens to her body!  Off to see Christie we go.

KB's little spine was adjusted to optimise her immunity and boost her energy to help her body fight its way to wellness.  She loves her adjustments.  Christie gave us some natural remedies to accompany her adjustment.

Apple Cider Vinegar as a Tonic
1 tsp morning and night to relieve a sore throat and break up phlegm deep in the chest.

Verdict so far - a good nights sleep for KB.  Any coughing is loosening up the phlegm and when she does cough it is not followed with crying or wincing.   With her taste for mediteranean food, KB does not mind her apple cider shot, however I could see that some toddlers would be adverse to this tonic.  Further research on this tonic suggests that adding the apple cider to 1/4 cup of water is best.

Olive Oil Ear Drops
A drop of olive oil in each ear in the evening to loosen up any wax and help the body lubricate that which needs to function well.

Verdict so far - KB is not paying as much attention to her ears.  We still need to observe this really.

Vitamin C in her water bottle
During winter KB has her special vitamin C tea with her breakfast.  Putting it in her water bottle is a great idea too for sipping on throughout the day.  This will boost her immune system giving her body some strength to fight any bugs.

Aunty Lyn's Syrup for Coughs, Sore throats and Sniffles
This is the tried and true soothing combination of lemon and honey in a lovely syrup.  As a syrup it clings to the throat with its soothing properties.

1 part honey
1 part glycerine
2 parts lemon

Other little ways I have been trying to help KB cope with the sniffles and coughs

Lavender drops on a tissue in her pillow slip - for a relaxing sleep.
Eucalyptus drops on a tissue in her pillow slip - for easier breathing when her nose is blocked.

Daily probiotics - especially important if we do decide to take the anti biotics.  I have noticed in the past that anti biotics can have a harsh effect on her stomach.  When she has been on a probiotic the anti biotics have less of an impact on her tummy.

I am so grateful for being encouraged to see winter sniffles and slight fevers as opportunities for KBs immunity to strengthen and using natural alternatives to support rather than suppress the bodies processes.

I would love to hear any of your natural remedies or even if you have had success with any of the above.
Have a cosy weekend x

Many Projects on the go! Piles of washing makes me slow!!

It seems my posts have taken a back seat while I try to conquer the accumulating piles of washing due to inclement weather!

 My pup Tilly had a gastro virus too - so been playing pet nurse.  And my little girl seems to be of the opinion that she no longer requires a day sleep.  So there goes Mama time for crafting or my own napping so that I may craft in the evening!

My hands have been filled with baking, cooking, natural remedy creating and trying to solve the ever constant question of "How do I deal with this new stage of child development?"

All sprinkled with the occassional thought and hand given to some sort of crafting. So, I still exist.  Today I wanted to share with you the gorgeous fabric for my first ever quilt.

I am about to embark on using my new cutting mat, and rotary cutter to prepare my blocks.  Exciting!

Sew Mama Sew have many wonderful tips and tutorials and I shall be following them over the next few weeks.  If you are new to quilting like me check out this tutorial for preparing and cutting.

So, please leave me some comments of encouragement over the next couple of weeks to move me along through my quilting project.  Hopefully I will post more soon!

A Busy Book Swap for your Little Ones and for Starship

... a collaboration between Mousehouse and Focussed Lenz

Are you keen to make your own busy book like Megan's for your little ones? Would you like to participate in a swap to make a busy book with other crafty people? Well, here's a way to keep it simple and get a book made without having to make all of the different pages yourself!

Who can participate?

Any NZ residents who would like to join in.  If you live beyond our kiwi shores and are very keen to participate drop me an email and we can see what we can do.

How it works

You choose a page theme (like buttons, clips, zips, threading or anything else your crafty imagination comes up with!) and you make five of the same page.  Then I'll send you the names and contact details of four participants with whom you will swap pages. 

So you keep one of your pages for your own book, send the other four to your swap group, and you'll get four in the mail back from your swap group. And don't worry, I'll make sure you are in a group with people making different page themes so you don't end up with four zip pages!  

Your book will have five pages, one page that you've made and four from other kiwi crafters! (And you'll have to make your own cover of course)

Dimensions and Specifications

Your page needs to be made using two pieces of fabric, one for the the front and one for the back. The overall dimensions will be 28cm across by 24cm down, this includes a seam allowance of 1cm for the edge of the pages and a 2cm allowance for the spine.  This should allow enough room for the busy book to be collated in the method we individually choose.

Create your page on the front piece of fabric, then put right sides together, sew around the page edges leaving the spine edge open for turning, turn right side out and top stitch around the whole page to close the gap and make the page nice and flat.

Registrations close May 28, 2011 and then you'll have until the end of August to post your pages to your swap group.

How to join in

Complete the registration form at the end of this post.  Make sure you scroll to the bottom of the form and click on 'submit' to finish. 

Follow this blog for future updates.  Share our Busy Book Block Swap button on your blog and with other passionate crafters.

I will email you once I have received your registration.  If you don’t hear from me, please leave a comment below x

Busy Books for our Starship Littlies

And here's an idea- would you also like to participate in creating some busy books for the children in Starship hospital? 

To participate in this, all you have to do is make one more page (so make 6 pages instead of 5) and your page will be put into a book with other crafters’ and sent to Starship. We'll also need people to help assemble the Starship books and make covers for them once the pages are all in.

If you are keen to do this, let me know in the registration form.

My mind is whirring with many ideas so I am looking forward to swapping busy book blocks with you !!!

Thanks heaps to Megan @ Mousehouse for supporting this idea and inspiring us with her creativity!

Organic Learning and Growing

I love Wednesdays!  By the time Wednesday arrives I am usually tired and a little tangled.  K and I pack up for our morning playgroup visit at our local Rudolf Steiner School.  We are always greeted with smiles and warm tea.  The hillside upon which the school and farm sit is always sun drenched and we are immediately surrounded by living and growing produce.  Not only does the environment brighten my day, the time to watch my daughter grow does too, along with the mind and soul nourishing connections I get to make with the people at play group.

K (21months)  is making huge social development growth at the moment - a stage that is wonderful to observe.  She has always been one of those children who love the attention of adults so to see her interact with other children is beautiful.  Today was one of sharing, tolerance, listening and watching for her peers needs, turn taking, pushing carts together.  She and her new friend Maddie (two)  pushed their cart so fast down a slope that K hurt her foot.  She cried.  She really cried - for Mum.  However she bravely accepted the offer of Maddie's teddy and and cuddle from her.  All sorted they moved on to "peke peke" into the sand pit together.    Holding hands to circle time, K sang and made the actions to our songs then enjoyed our shared morning tea.  Just beautiful to watch.

Our group of parents are diverse but share the common interest into that which is Steiner.  Today I had two enriching discussions.

What is your constitution?

Maryanne - first time Mum and first time Steiner - er, just like me shared why we were contemplating this type of learning environment for our children.  She explained her awesome relationship with her friend who is a naturopath. Maryanne's son has a sulpher constitution.  He is quite, a thinker and approaches his world quite uniquely.   With a constitution of this type she is exploring the more holistic approach of Steiner for him which may allow his strengths to flourish, where state school may inhibit him by placing stress on him.  I just love how we can if we choose grow to understand how we as individuals are made up and deeply care about directions we can take or offer to our children. This small seed has given me the motivation to revisit the naturopath path I begin a year ago.  Perhaps understanding my daughters and my own constitution will strengthen my parenting.

Unschooling

Recently our media has given attention to the concept of "unschooling".   I think it is great that people are challenging and raising strongly based philosophies of life which they hold.  "Unschooling" is not new.  The principals of the concept are shared by Steiner I think.  My teaching philosophy also.  However the way schooling has been designed years ago on a factory based model has been restrictive to unschooling concepts which I believe are enduring.  Our second discussion at playgroup today was a sharing of what it is about Steiner education that is of benefit.  I heard concepts being shared such as holistic, creative, stage development rather than age development, the child first, allowing children to be children, recreating, social development of great importance, warmth, awareness of our world and others.  These concepts sit well with me, they are concepts to which are achievable in the state school sector however, it takes courageous teachers. leaders or communities to embrace these - in my opinion.

I really do love our Wednesdays for re grounding me in the pursuit of what I value and strive for - organic growing and learning.

Wearing my undies on the outside!

Quite a few years and many moons ago a respected employer told me that I seem to wear my undies on the outside!  No, not like those work mates you have had with their t-bars out for all to see, or the home boys with their lowered crotches and boxers puffing out the top, nor those people who wear belts for skirts.  I suffered from undies on the outside syndrome running around being super woman in my professional career.
Back then I am sure my undies would have been, if worn on the outside and visible, gorgeous little briefs - you know attractive, not practical like I seem to wear these days.  Sadly, this syndrome has followed me into motherhood.  I think it emerged when KB was around six months old and the breast feeding was getting easier.

Only these undies are not brief.  They are beige, the waistline sits under my chest, they are ill fitting and sensible.  The size of them is so overwhelming that they impair my ability to look after myself, they make me imagine when signs of sickness or stress poke me on the shoulder that it's nothing it will pass.
These undies have given me nothing but grief this year and the pokes of unwellness have turned into an almighty slap to the ground!  I have been sick for almost a week, completely incapable of doing anything but resting.  Thank goodness for friends and family support.  Even my Dr is unsure of what is wrong - but here take these antibiotics anyway!

So I will be stripping away those undies and burning them!  I will be super to no one if I keep wearing my undies on the outside. So more Aloha Time, more listening to me and making a real effort to remember my needs too.

Where do you really wear your undies?