The To Do List

Tasks that weigh on your mind are like little alarm bells constantly going off. They pop up on your mind when you are in the middle of doing something else and make you feel guilty for not tackling them. I get into bed at night and think " I MUST get onto that to do list" and then life promptly gets in the way. 

 

Credit- www.carlawordsmithblog.com

Some of the jobs on my To Do list are actually important and are time specific, like getting Button's thank you cards out. Some fall more into the category of well that would be nice to do and would make your life easier, like weed out the newborn clothing which Buttons no longer fits, clean them and store them away for Baby No 3. Other tasks are more of the wish list variety and are likely to be on the To Do list the longest, like organising our digital photos and ordering some to be actually printed instead of just hanging out on our phones and computers. 

Every weekend Action Dad and I negotiate what needs to get down while there are two of us available with two little girls who need us, and what we want to do so that we actually spend some time having fun together.  On Saturday morning, the weekend seems to stretch out and is filled with time to get things done and play and relax and enjoy ourselves. On Sunday night, once the kids are asleep I look back and think how did two days just disappear? Why does bloody Monday stretch on for days, yet Saturday and Sunday are gone in seconds? It's like some mystical time bending magical trick. 

Gretchen Rubin writes about this in her books "The Happiness Project" and "Happier at Home". She recommends taking the jobs on your To Do list and breaking them down into two categories. Number 1- if a job takes less than 5 minutes, then you do it immediately and stop dragging it out. Things like replacing the screw on the handle to the pantry so that it stops falling off. Or picking up the small purple bead under the coffee couch that I can see every time I sit down to feed Buttons. The second category is for the larger jobs on your To Do list. Rubin's recommends setting a timer and spending a set amount of time on a particular job until it is actually completed. Her example, funnily enough is also organising digital photos- she sat down for 15 mins every day and uploaded and deleted and organised photos for a few weeks until the job was completed and could be crossed off the To Do list.  

 

Credit - www.greatist.com

Sometimes I think I spend so long procrastinating and stressing over how many things I need to do, that it immobilises me and I spiral further into my To Do list where nothing is getting done. I find myself overwhelmed and end up sitting on the couch, drinking hot blackcurrant and watching crappy tv ( have you seen Dance Moms????? How bad is that show, that it is actually all kinds of fabulous!)  I think because I am so organised with the regular, routine stuff in my life that I find it hard to do the one off jobs that populate the List. 

Update! Apparently writing this post was exactly what I needed to do to shame myself into action- Button's Thank you cards are written, addressed and posted. Yay!!! Tick! 

Baby Bookworm

I am a prolific and passionate reader- I seem to continually have at least two books on the go, plus I also follow a host of bloggers. I completed a BA, specialising in English Literature and one of my absolute favourite parts of teaching was reading aloud novels with a my intermediate aged kids. 

Up until now Miss Muffet has been far too busy to sit and actually listen to a story, which you could imagine broke my heart a little. Action Dad and I persevered and played around with different times and places to read to her and found that the winning combo was reading to her while she was in the bath and was fairly contained. She also insisted on only being read Hairy Maclary From Donaldsons Dairy, complete with different voices for the various dogs. And only Hairy Maclary From Donaldsons Dairy. If we attempted to read anything else she lost interest, so over and over we read the kiwi classic of the adventuring dogs and her personal fave " Scarface Claw, the toughest Tom in town!"  I even made her second birthday cake, a Hairy Maclary cake 

 

 

Just after Buttons arrived, Uncle Bogey gave us a collection of board books which his three boys had grown out of. The perfect present for a toddler who has recently gained a baby sister - we have put the basket of books by the sofa where I breastfeed and I invite Miss Muffet to come and read with me while I am feeding. It's lovely to be able to give her some special attention during this crazy time where frankly she is getting half as much attention as she is used to.

 

There are lots of awesome books in this bundle- classics like Spot, Peepo and other books by Lynley Dodd and some more modern titles like the Gruffalo and The Gruffalo's Child. 

Being Miss Muffet, with all her quirks, she has latched onto one particular book. It has become the new Hairy Maclary From Donaldsons Dairy. The book I can now recite by heart.

 

Miss Muffet adores this book and her favourite parts are of course the flaps for lifting. It is a cute, rhyming story and is short enough to hold her attention. The pictures are sweet and the book is sturdy enough to stand up the toddler test . 

To be honest, I don't care how often I have to read Miss Muffet's favourite book of the month. I think it is so important to read to kids every day- they learn vocabulary, phrasing and it extend their world view. It is a special way to bond and share attention with children. It sparks curiosity and creativity.  I hope Miss Muffet and Buttons inherit my love of reading and this is the best way I can think of to introduce them to the world of reading. 

To b

Sick Bubbas

The Wellington winter colds have finally come and knocked on our door and us on our butts. Buttons has earnt herself a new nickname-

At the moment I am chained to the couch ( where I usually do my writing) with a very miserable Buttons. In my eye sight  is a pile of washing that I am dubbing Mt Washmore. 

  

In front of me are the kids PJs, a billion threading beads that Miss Muffet has thoughtfully strewn all over the floor, assorted blankets, baby clothing and the contents of my nappy bag. 

Buttons has been sniffly and snotty for the last three days and had started to wheeze and snort a lot so off to the doctors for us yesterday. I actually hate going to the GP after a previous doctor made me feel like a complete hypochondriac by questioning my need to be there. I very rarely go for myself and often feel guilty for being there- like I am not actually sick enough and am wasting everyone's time. But with the kids it is different, and our new GP since we have moved is fab and has reminded us that it is always better to be safe than sorry. 

Buttons has earnt herself the unfortunate new nickname of Schnortle Pig due to her lovely, unladylike noises. It  is said with love and affection but we needed something to make us smile while getting up to her for the umpteenth time each night! 

Poor Buttons has managed to get bronchiolitis and all she wants to do is feed and snuggle on me. It is AWFUL to see a six week old looking so pathetic and . I have turned to my arsenal of tried and true illness busters to try and help her feel better. 

 

 We are also doing the whole tilted bassinet trick and using a vaporiser. Funny story about the vaporiser- my lovely sister in law gave me a present and in the card had added the disclaimer that her presents were not cutesy but were totally practical and that I would come to need them and understand their importance. She gave us her vaporiser  that she had used with her three boys and also a pair of navy blue puddle jumpers. Sure enough, both of these items have been used so many times already with Miss Muffet and I am sure that Buttons will get good use of them also! My sister in law is super organised, down to earth and practical 😀

Hopefully Buttons bounces back quickly and is back to her lovely, gorgeous self. Send us healthy vibes, energy and super strong coffee. Xxx

Chicken Parmigiana Casserole

 

Photo credit to www.thrivinghomeblog.com - I was too hungry to wait and take a picture! 

Tonight's dinner is a result of an absolute Pintrest win. I enjoy cooking and try to make something new each week- it keeps meal planning interesting and who knows, I may actual stumble upon a meal that Miss Muffet will actually eat! 

When I was trawling for meal ideas, I had set the following criteria - had to be a chicken dish ( big chicken fan here!) And it had to be able to be freezer friendly as I wanted to cook a double batch and freeze one portion. We tend to eat a lot of Asian and Mexican food so I also wanted to explore a few Italian recipes as well. And low and behold.. Up popped Chicken Parmigiana Casserole from www.thrivinghomeblog.com. I adapted the recipe slightly: 

Ingredients

3 skinless boneless chicken breasts 

1 cup grated cheese 

1 cup Panko bread crumbs 

Oregano

Basil

Pepper

Tin of Watties tomato and herb pasta sauce *

Method 

Cook chicken and then shred.

Coat casserole dish with spray oil

Combine pasta sauce and chicken and then add to dish.

Sprinkle grated cheese over the top

Combine Panko, herbs, pepper and a dash of oil, then sprinkle over the top. 

Cook for 20 mins at 180 degrees 

Serve over pasta or rice or even as is! 

This meal was super easy to make and was absolutely delicious. A lot less fiddly than making actual parmigiana! Next time I would make my own tomato based sauce as I prefer it and it is less sweet. 

Eating in Survival Mode

 Buttons is now a month old and it feels like she has always been with us. We are deep in the dark of living on very fractured sleep and are learning how to operate as a family of four with two little girls.

You may have noticed I haven't written for a week- I gave myself a wee break as I inched towards meltdown zone, holding everything together. 

One thing that we ARE managing to do well is eating proper dinners. While I was pregnant, I made it my mission to fill the freezer with as many home cooked meals as possible. It was actually a lot easier than I expected- I just did double batches of dinners that we were eating and immediately froze half in tinfoil containers!  I am a big fan of Pintrest and like to try new recipes so trawled through there to find lots of tasty meals, trying to avoid having lasagna every night for a month! I also asked advice from the awesome mummies on a Facebook mummy forum I belong to, and got some great ideas. 

I really like using recipes from 

www.carlsbadcravings.com and from www.skinnytaste.com. Both are American sites, with fab crockpot recipes and a lot do Asian, Thai and Mexican inspired meals- yum! We have been enjoying sweet chilli Asian chicken wraps, baked sweet and sour chicken, tortilla soup and lots more.

I also went to one of my favourite NZ chefs- Chelsea Winter , and stocked up on her recipes- so far we have been loving her sneaky rissoles, satay chicken and glorious sausage quiche. 

Combined with our amazing Bellyful meals and meals that wonderful  family have made, we probably have amassed about 20 frozen meals. In the four weeks since Buttons came home, we have been heavily relying on these meals to keep us going- each morning I grab a meal from the freezer to defrost and then Action Dad is in charge of preparing it as Buttons cluster feeds from 4-7ish.  To keep our supply going, I have been cooking meals in the weekend to keep the stock pile full. This has meant that we have only had to resort to takeaways once!!! 

A couple of tips for those of you who want to make your own freezer full of meals-

- Double up your weekly meals and freeze half. 

- Make sure you have a variety and don't end up with all pasta- I did soups, casseroles, curries, quiches, burger patties, meat balls, stir fries etc. 

-  As you package up your meals, write the cooking instructions on the lid! Nothing worse than trying to find the right recipe at 5.00 at night when you are hungry and tired! 

- Keep a list of what your freezer contains on your fridge so you know what you have and what you need to buy to accompany it. Eg salad, buns, etc 

My mum keeps telling me that at six weeks things will get easier and we will fall into a routine. Right now, I can't see the light at the end of the tunnel but every night that we grab another frozen meal, I am so thankful to pregnant organised Me for thinking ahead! 

On another note- VERY excited to have my first official follower who is not family and therefore forced to read my writing! Blogging takes on a whole new level when you realise people are reading!! Xxx

A Fond Farewell

This week I bid a long overdue farewell to an important player in my life.  We have been together for four years, at first just as irregular acquaintances when the weather turned but after the arrival of Miss Muffet and the associated endless days at home, we became firmly entrenched in each other's lives. 

 

 

These are my ugg boots. Dark brown and cosy. Previously sheep skin lined but sadly now lacking in any kind of fuzz at all. The soles are now worn down and have become slippery. The heels are collapsing. They are HAD IT.

Actually, they were probably well past it last year. I have been muttering about needing new slippers for months and months but didn't actually do anything about it. It's as if I felt like maybe if I waited long enough, that new ones would just magically appear in my closet. It's funny because if the girls even remotely need anything, then you can bet your bottom dollar that I will arrange to get whatever they need as soon as I can. I have no problem spending our money on them- in fact, I have a self imposed ban on going in Cotton on Kids as I can't be trusted not to spend all our grocery money in there. But when it comes to spending money on myself.... Well that's another story!  Suddenly I become very budget conscious and can put off spending money on myself for months. 

After Buttons was born, I went for a skid while holding her and wearing my uggs. The time had come when enough was enough. Time to shop. Being a Mumma of a newborn, I did what any other mother does and turned to the Internet. I searched in all of my regular haunts and found the perfect replacement slippers. But did I buy them ? 

No. 

I looked at the price, $99 and went " oh that's too much". Never mind that I wear slippers every day at some stage. (I don't wear them out to public places . Yet.)Never mind that I have not bought anything new for myself since I had to buy maternity jeans in November. I just couldn't justify spending $100 on a) myself and b) on slippers. 

So I didn't buy them and just kept visiting them on the website, like I visit Facebook. Just checking they were still there. And checking the price.

Coming from Farmers, I knew that they would come down in price if I waited. So I watched and waited. Until finally, on Saturday, I bit the bullet. Action Dad parked the car with both girls in it and I ran into the store and bought them. No dawdling. No being distracted by pretty clothes and make up. In and out in less than 15 mins. 

So I present to you, my new favourite foot friends 

 

My feet are cosy and thankful. 

Toddler Tantrums

This is not the post I had planned to write. Had taken lovely pictures for and mulled over in my head and been thinking about all night. Instead this is an emotionally driven, so tired I can't even think straight kind of post. 

Toddlers. I mean seriously. I almost can't even put it into words - how emotionally charged and dramatic and infuriating they can be. I have to add the disclaimer that when I  say " toddlers", I really only have my own experience with Miss Muffet to draw from. And I will also add the disclaimer that she can be charming and gorgeous and delicious and at the end of the day I love her to pieces. 

At the moment, I just don't like her very much. 

Ugh. That makes me feel so guilty to say that and think that and immediately I feel like a bad Mumma. 

Let me paint the picture. Buttons waking every 2 hours for feeds. Been awake since 5.30am. Raced around getting Buttons fed and Miss Muffet dressed and Buttons dressed and Miss Muffet fed and Buttons fed and Miss Muffet's hair done and teeth brushed and gulped down a coffee and Buttons fed and threw on some clothes and got everyone in the car plus the pram and the front pack. Whoops, no breakfast for Mumma or even brushing my hair- mum bun and birdy wash with baby wipes for me! 

Arrived at Miss Muffet's gym -ON TIME and got everyone out of the car and safely into the building with only a wee detour to jump in puddles on the way. Shoes off and "don't swing on the gate". And finally...: time for the weekly gymnastics class. 

Miss Muffet was not playing the game today. She screamed and threw herself on the ground. And refused to follow the very few rules there are in place- like one at a time on the trampoline and don't take equipment off other people. Did I mention the screaming? Like ear piercing, shrieking, yelling. I tried gently reminding her of the rules. Nope. I tried distraction. Nope. I carried her off to a corner to talk to her quietly and give her some time out. Nope. 

After being there for TEN minutes, I had had enough. I  picked her up under my arm, had Buttons in the front pack and a bag in the other arm. An angel of a mum came and held the door for me and helps wrangle shoes onto Miss Muffet. 

Got everyone back in the car. Shut the door. Yelled at Miss Muffet from the private safety bubble of my car. Burst into tears. 

(Drove off and bought peanut M&Ms from the petrol station. I have since eaten ALL of them)

Miss Muffet is only just 2 with a new baby sister so I should expect tantrums. And I don't care about the cost of the class. It's more the effort to get there and the fact   that she loves gymnastic equipment and is always hanging and swinging from furniture at home. It's more that I need to make friends in this new suburb and it's hard when your child is being  "that child". It's more that I feel out of control and like I am battling with a tiny tyrant and losing on an epic scale. It's that I am so damn tired. And more importantly it's because in those moments, I don't like my child.

As I write this, she is cuddled up beside me and totally happy, babbling and watching some inane cartoon. We have played with her trains and done some washing and read some books. 

Toddlers. I mean, SERIOUSLY.