it has come to my attention, with personal disappointment, that mothers unanimously eat the wing or wings of a roast chook dinner. this is one of numerous examples of mothers putting their preferences, desires and even needs second to their families, particularly their children's.
as i was home yesterday afternoon and suspiciously had the time to get a chicken roasting that's what was on the menu last night. i remember when at my parents home a roast chicken appeared on the dining table my brother got the leg (or both legs as he grew up), my father and i divvied up the breast meat and mum got stuck with the wings. last night percy got the breast meat, paul was too sick to eat and yet i still, voluntarily (!) took a wing. which meant the remaining carcass was largely intact as percy doesn't eat enough to sustain a bird (pun slightly intended) and i filled up on vegies. this is probably a good thing as the more vegies for me the better.
i've read many articles about the second-place-getting of mothers, generally self-imposed. my example here is a light-hearted one, there are more serious cases particularly in situations of poverty or abuse. surely we all recognise that a healthy, happy mother contributes more to the well being of her family than anything else? i'm also pondering the australian governments' seeming back off from a national paid maternity leave scheme. i understand some of the intricacies of such a scheme and the difficulty that might be experienced by small employers, i still think it's immensely worthwhile and necessary.
i should make clear that i'm not a second-place getter in our family. if anything paul places me and insists i take first place more often than not. i think in general we three are equals. i just can't help boosting percy ahead of me! i think it's primal and instinctive.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Monday, February 23, 2009
no posts
the reason being that i've been nursing a cold for coming onto a fortnite now. i'm not well enough, interested enough or able enough to write. besides which things are much the same in our lives at present, so nothing to write about.
one thing that is worth remarking on is percy's communication. she differentiates between "i", "your", "each", "percy's turn", "coming", "soon" and a couple more in that vein. it makes life more interesting having her talking so well. we still have to guess occasionally what she is on about but that changes every day.
one thing that is worth remarking on is percy's communication. she differentiates between "i", "your", "each", "percy's turn", "coming", "soon" and a couple more in that vein. it makes life more interesting having her talking so well. we still have to guess occasionally what she is on about but that changes every day.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
St Valentine's Day
scene 1:
muted lighting, deep red roses in perfect bloom highlighted in a cut crystal vase, warm timber surrounds, flickering long red candles, delicate bone china, crested silverware...
him dressed in bespoke evening tails, her dressed in midnight blue, figure hugging gown...
a meal of tempting flavours and creative presentation...
wine and the finest champagne...
hushed conversation sprinkled with in-the-know laughter...
curtain falls.
scene 2:
muted lighting, deep red roses in perfect bloom fitted into the only vase tall enough to take them, warm timber surrounds with washing draped all over it as it's been raining for a week, flickering long red candles, plain white, dishwasher and microwave proof crockery, stainless steel cutlery...
him dressed in the same t-shirt and cargo pants as he's been in all day, her dressed in cinched-at-the-waist, midnight blue, slightly tatty dressing gown...
a meal of tempting flavours and slapped on the plate...
beer and orange juice...
half asleep conversation with in-the-know-about-the-toddler's-pooey-nappy stories and laughter...
curtain falls.
half falls at least, then raises...
i'll let you guess which was the scene at our house on friday nite!
percy slept for half an hour, just enough time to dish up and gobble food before she woke crying. she's sick with something we can't blame her.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Sunday, February 8, 2009
hip hip hooray!
last nite the weather finally changed and became cool enough to bearably sleep. thank multiple dieties!
i am just not a hot weather person. neither seemingly is percy. she slept atrociously the nite before last- i was up every hour between 9pm and 1am to settle her. at 1:30am we gave up, set up the port-a-cot in our bedroom and brought her in to sleep with us. it's cooler in our room because that is where the air con system is. yes, we have been complete environmental vandals and run the air con over nite on several occasions now. it did work, she fell asleep pretty quickly, one little settle around 4am (which i was able to largely do; saying 'hush', while still lieing in my own bed) to wake around 7am.
by contrast percy slept a lovely 12 hours last nite from 6:30pm to 6:30am, with only one stir in the nite when i pulled up her blanket. yes, it was actually cool enough to need it!
she went to bed at 6:30pm because she had not napped like usual so we figured she needed it.
yesterday morning we drove to the beach and just before arriving little miss fell asleep in the car. she had a half hour nap and then nothing for the remainder of the day. a bit rough on us but manageable.
she also had a bath last nite for the first time in weeks. possibly only because it was towering with bubbles and i got in with her.
this morning, waiting on the platform for my train to work, i actually felt a bit cold. what bliss.
i am just not a hot weather person. neither seemingly is percy. she slept atrociously the nite before last- i was up every hour between 9pm and 1am to settle her. at 1:30am we gave up, set up the port-a-cot in our bedroom and brought her in to sleep with us. it's cooler in our room because that is where the air con system is. yes, we have been complete environmental vandals and run the air con over nite on several occasions now. it did work, she fell asleep pretty quickly, one little settle around 4am (which i was able to largely do; saying 'hush', while still lieing in my own bed) to wake around 7am.
by contrast percy slept a lovely 12 hours last nite from 6:30pm to 6:30am, with only one stir in the nite when i pulled up her blanket. yes, it was actually cool enough to need it!
she went to bed at 6:30pm because she had not napped like usual so we figured she needed it.
yesterday morning we drove to the beach and just before arriving little miss fell asleep in the car. she had a half hour nap and then nothing for the remainder of the day. a bit rough on us but manageable.
she also had a bath last nite for the first time in weeks. possibly only because it was towering with bubbles and i got in with her.
this morning, waiting on the platform for my train to work, i actually felt a bit cold. what bliss.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
conjugating and counting update
percy has mastered a number of conjugations now. mostly of the "ing" variety- patting, doing, going, climbing, swinging...
she also very cutely says "still chewing" if she is offered more food before she's ready. also she puts us off asking her to do something by telling us "no, percy busy." once tho, we asked her what she was doing and she replied in an evasive manner "nothing." if i really thought she'd already learnt about lies and evasiveness i'd worry more but i just can't see that being likely.
she can also count to ten. we started by putting our 'pointer finger up' and counting the cats in the slimky malinki books. she likes counting everything now. 'course she doesn't always get it right. for instance i have five eyebrows- she just went back and forth counting each one more than once. better than a mono brow i say!
she also very cutely says "still chewing" if she is offered more food before she's ready. also she puts us off asking her to do something by telling us "no, percy busy." once tho, we asked her what she was doing and she replied in an evasive manner "nothing." if i really thought she'd already learnt about lies and evasiveness i'd worry more but i just can't see that being likely.
she can also count to ten. we started by putting our 'pointer finger up' and counting the cats in the slimky malinki books. she likes counting everything now. 'course she doesn't always get it right. for instance i have five eyebrows- she just went back and forth counting each one more than once. better than a mono brow i say!
Monday, February 2, 2009
"hello..."
i keep forgetting to write this up but finally i've remembered while i'm in front of a computer and can steal some time to do so.
very short story from our impromptu new years stay in coffs harbour. out to dinner one evening i had ordered a super delicious dessert of crepes with strawberries and butterscotch sauce. percy had wormed her way onto my lap by this time. (after being a very well behaved miss all thru dinner, eating a reasonable amount and running many laps of our table.)
percy asked what was on the plate. upon being told she dipped her finger into a pool of butterscotch sauce and tasted it. she then said, in a very friendly, almost 'come hither' voice; "hello butterscotch." it was just hilarious, very much like she was saying "you and me, butterscotch, we are going to get on juuust fiiiine."
we haven't had anything butterscotchy since so i wonder if she remembers it, or whether she'll still be as friendly.
very short story from our impromptu new years stay in coffs harbour. out to dinner one evening i had ordered a super delicious dessert of crepes with strawberries and butterscotch sauce. percy had wormed her way onto my lap by this time. (after being a very well behaved miss all thru dinner, eating a reasonable amount and running many laps of our table.)
percy asked what was on the plate. upon being told she dipped her finger into a pool of butterscotch sauce and tasted it. she then said, in a very friendly, almost 'come hither' voice; "hello butterscotch." it was just hilarious, very much like she was saying "you and me, butterscotch, we are going to get on juuust fiiiine."
we haven't had anything butterscotchy since so i wonder if she remembers it, or whether she'll still be as friendly.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
sentences II
percy has progressed to six word sentences and the use of "i". her language just astonishes me. she said to me on the weekend. "pappa and mamma sleep in big bed", then; "i sleep in the little bed." so much for waiting for her third or fourth birthday.
we're not anticipating discussing philosophy with her any time soon. however getting day to day tasks and activities done with all parties understanding each other is bril.
oddly, when something isn't going her way or she's getting frustrated she reverts to whining and crying. things like a puzzle piece she can't get in, or a closed door she can't open, or something too heavy for her to pick up; she'll cry and whine instead of telling us what the problem is. which is frustrating because i know she can say things like "open door", "can't reach", "can't do it", "help", "mamma/pappa come", "finished" and the like. we're working on it.
we've also started, with some success, the practice of taking a deep breath when getting upset and then talking about it. i usually sit in front of her on the floor when she's heading into a full-blown tantrum, and say "take a deep breath", then do it myself for her to mimic. more often than not she follows along with me and after three or four breaths is in control again enough to tell me what's wrong. doesn't always work! sometimes it's too late and all we can do is try to stop her hurting herself while the flailing screaming runs its course.
i love talking with percy because it makes me think about what i am saying, slow down and enunciate clearly. it's good practice for talking with adults too!
we're not anticipating discussing philosophy with her any time soon. however getting day to day tasks and activities done with all parties understanding each other is bril.
oddly, when something isn't going her way or she's getting frustrated she reverts to whining and crying. things like a puzzle piece she can't get in, or a closed door she can't open, or something too heavy for her to pick up; she'll cry and whine instead of telling us what the problem is. which is frustrating because i know she can say things like "open door", "can't reach", "can't do it", "help", "mamma/pappa come", "finished" and the like. we're working on it.
we've also started, with some success, the practice of taking a deep breath when getting upset and then talking about it. i usually sit in front of her on the floor when she's heading into a full-blown tantrum, and say "take a deep breath", then do it myself for her to mimic. more often than not she follows along with me and after three or four breaths is in control again enough to tell me what's wrong. doesn't always work! sometimes it's too late and all we can do is try to stop her hurting herself while the flailing screaming runs its course.
i love talking with percy because it makes me think about what i am saying, slow down and enunciate clearly. it's good practice for talking with adults too!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)