Sugar and spice ... who said that anyway?

Sugar and spice and all things nice... hmmm... who said that anyway?

Well if that is generally the case it sure doesn't fit my little cupcake. What do you do when you know something dreadful is going to happen, given time... only you don't really know what to do to prevent it?

Rosa has started using the potty. I tend to let the mornings be her running back and forth to the potty session but by the afternoon (when I am exhausted with her many trips and a few minor accidents) I put the nappy back on. Well after nap time she has started deciding that she really needs the potty... and decides to prepare herself by removing her nappy... that is the accident I knew was potential for danger...

Well today was the outworking of that disaster... after putting her down for a nap... and waiting for the silent indicator of dreams of sugar and spice and all things nice... I began to hear "ehh... yuck!" and then "Mummy... potty..." and then "o - oh!" etc. etc. I could only imagine... but was hoping to be wrong.

All I can say is my girl aint all sugar and spice and all things nice...

at least until after her bath (and bed sheets, clothes, etc. have all been emptied and scrubbed and washed!)

only then is it safe to plant a kiss upon her sugar coated nose!

Cucumber Raita

...finally the Cucumber Raita recipe I promised Cath a while back..

Cucumber Raita
6 Cucumbers (for a family meal)
1/2 cup yoghurt ( am guessing at the amounts here - tend to go by looks...so add if necessary)
1/2 cup of Paul Newmans dressing (this time I tried the Spring onion one and it worked well)
Seasoned salt
pepper
normal salt
fresh mint
1/2 onion, very finely chopped

Peel and finely chop cucumbers. Place into a bowl and add salt, pepper and seasoned salt ( I have even used a stock cube mixed with hot water to add flavour sometimes in place of seasoned salt..).

Add finely chopped mint, and onion. Mix well. Add yoghurt and dressing. Chill. Serve. Especially nice with curries and hot food to cool down de' tastebuds!

..oops - photo looks like it needs a lot more mint...

Healthy, quick and seems to go down well with the young uns'.

Let me know if you try it

Stepping Heavenward

Here is a book I highly recommend to Christian women. It was, and is for me, a fairly emotive sort of book - a book that deals with the inner struggles and battles of a woman's life - openly and honestly.

I guess the reason it challenged me personally relates to the word self-sacrifice. The story begins when Katherine is sixteen - with all the normal emotional ups and downs and self-centredness of teenagerhood. The book shows, over time how she grows in her love for Christ, and how it impacts her decisions and her family. It shows less of self and more of Thee, as the hymn writer so aptly puts it...So jolly hard to give of yourself, to give fully - to give willingly to give because of an overflow of the love of Christ....

Last time I read it, it stirred up in me an uneasyness. I guess it was because I often felt that Katherine was not always dealt the nicest situations, even by loved ones... I felt, sometimes, that I wanted to teach a few people a lesson or two about how selfish they were... and then it hit home. The way of the Master is not about teaching a lesson or two - it is about changing us/changing me - about making me more Christ like. Hmmm.... still didn't rest easy but sure got me thinking.

... and do you know, some of the people who I admire most for their Spiritual life/the sweet smelling, Christ-like aroma are people who are not trying to right the wrongs (done to them)... they are people who let the work of the Holy Spirit change them into quiet, humble, prayerful and sweet sisters in Christ...

Oh it hurts, to even think about...

Spiritual pruning... yikes!

Puppy dog song -

Some family traditions follow one generation to the next. Well my little girl's favourite song is one that my mother taught me. When she is snuggling up for the night, she has her arm around Lou Lou and Teddy and asks for "puppy dog song." Well I think I only sang it to her once

before it became her favourite request.

The song is "how Much is that doggy in the window?" It actually has a little bit of a romantic element to it but I only ever knew the first verse, so we just sing it over and over... and over and over... and over and over and over! (and a few more overs!)

I did try to video tape her singing it but unfortunately the dancing and jiving turned into little squeals and shoves as both Owen and Rosa competed for the chair closest to the song online -

will spare you the squabbling...

I'm watching you Dad!

Was sent this by a friend. Quite cute (especially words work effick)
Quite challenging...
...applies to us Mums too!

enjoy

green faces

This morning I had a bit of a pamper session - what? rush-around-and-don't -bother-much about-appearance-me... Just trying to keep my clothes free from evidence of runny nose, smears of food (from my own sloppy eating) and, well... those odd little nappy remnants that just can creep out when you think you've got it all... Yes, I, even I, had a facial! The Mums of Special needs kids from Owen's Prep were each spoilt by a consultant lady who pampered us. Was nice to be spoilt and come home smelling like a powder puff...until the next nappy change :)

I learned a couple of funny things this morning:

• Body lotions, etc. can have a definite heirachy;) of course the top product/s are always the ones consultants sell. All else pales into insignificance...
• I was absolutely amazed at how much could be said for such small tubes of cream! Ok, they smelled nice...
• I must say I almost fell off my prep-sized chair when I found out that the cheapest item is $95!!! Of course this only purchases half of what you really need, so you spend the same on the other half.

But you know, I enjoyed being pampered and enjoyed a good inward chuckle from it all,

And all that for not a cent!

what's more...

Joshua, with a smug look on his face peeked his head in the door when we ladies were all covered in green face mask and asked if it was mud on our face!

this time I could let out my inward chuckle!

friends and food

I have just come home from a cooking lesson! My friend, Rebecca from church agreed to teach me some Sudanese cooking. We made a dish called Dak with Semolina. I think semolina is a staple ingredient in their cooking. The white dish - which looks like mashed potato is semolina. It looked like quite a work out the way she stirred and stirred it (somewhat like playdough) !

The dish 'Dak' is made from some sort of vegetable (I am yet to find out the english name for) which looks a bit like spinach ... with onion, tomato and stock... Tasted great, a little salty but very yummy. Here is some she sent home for David. She also served it with some yummy lamb in a tomatoey sauce.

I really enjoyed myself, tasted some friendship and am looking forward to getting to know her more. Our discussion also helped me just to appreciate a little more what it is to be free of fear, living here in Australia. Heard about some of the terrible trauma and corruption in Africa. Makes my recent decision making issues (which sometimes seem huge) seem so insignificant...

Overall, a sprinkle of sweetness to my day!

Jazzed up Jaffas

Here are some little jars I jazzed up recently for gifts. Simple, inexpensive jars (I happened to pick mine up from Ikea) but have seen them various other places since (dollar shops, kmart perhaps..) I just filled with sweets (in this case Jaffas) and decorated the top using a stamp of a little girl & other of a flower... using double sided tape onto a large scallop punched out shape...
Then I tied some coordinated ribbon around neck of jar.


Helps to get together sometimes and share around stamps or punch out shapes (like I did) so you don't feel you need the whole collection of stamps or punches to do a craft like this (and saves $$)

Sorry - my camera doesn't do the close up shots well...



PS - sorry re. empty post on my blog for any who dropped by yesterday. I had something there before but decided I need to think through it a bit more and ended up deleting it... was some reflections on study of Romans... not sure I understood things well enough when commenting... maybe will post about it after I have studied more! ;)

choosing a school

It is easy to look back on a decision and see whether it was a good one or maybe not such a good one... but when you are making that decision it seems so hard to know...

We are praying through the decision of where to put Owen next year for grade 1 , whether to keep him home entirely or whether to put him part time in a Special School...

Prayer, decisions, decisions, visits to special schools, discussions together, discussions with others...

Special Schools are quite different from the ordinary school. Guess I have never really been to one before and not sure what I expected... There are children with all sorts of needs, phobias, intense hobbies, etc. etc... and usually (necessarily) very high fences and areas with bars, extra security, etc.... hmmm....

And then there is the smell of very strong dettol...

Of course there are other programs that encourage 'real life' skills like using a cash register, weighing fruit and veg. making sandwhiches, etc. There are rooms with bright lights, flashing lights, neon bubbles and calm music... There are lots of pictures and well-labelled boxes, hooks on the wall, etc. with the child's photograph on them so they know where to put things.

Curriculums are, of course, much less academic. The child may have as their goal to eat without making such a mess (I think that is a relevant goal around our house:) their goal might be to learn to point to pictures to show what they want, or to learn to ride a bike.

...of course this is all from a Mum's perspective... my insights as a parent. Special Schools are just different.

A letter is written from a guidance officer to the school you wish to enrol your child in. The letter, intended for the staff is rather... well honest... about your child, telling in full detail their various disabilities or health concerns, stating their summary on the child's intellectual level, their need for help... probably more honest like the report cards which were all the norm before suing and political correctness issues came in.... Ok, ok, we opened our 'confidential' letter...

And so all the feelings, thoughts and swaying of views tangles in my mind. I know that decisions like this are hard to make. Hard to keep emotions, and 'gut feelings' (which can also be wrong) about things out of the way.

Humbly, back to our knees...

magnet gift ideas part 2

Here are the other fabric covered magnets for my crafty friends out there

I covered a matchbox (larger size) in pretty paper with some ribbon, an embelishment and a little tag (tag from newsagent)

Then put the fabric covered magnets inside

Here is a picture of button from the back showing the magnet