Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Merry Christmas!




Dear you,

Merry Christmas! Thanks for dropping by, your support and comments during the year have never failed to make me smile.

I will be travelling over Christmas, doing the rounds of Australia visiting family.

Because I will be off having heaps of fun in real life, I will be giving this blog a little break of it's own.

I hope you have a fabulous holiday season. See you in the new year!

Monday, December 7, 2009

Happy Anniversary Mr Accident!

So, what's a girl to do when her handsome husband is far, far away on their wedding anniversary?

Why, make a husband-on-a-stick, of course.



Just a few minutes with an old picture, a decent colour printer, some cardboard and clear contact paper, tape it onto some old scrap wood and voila - a poor substitute for the real deal!



Baby thought it was pretty funny.


After she had a good look, and checked it really was a picture of her Daddy, she puckered up and practiced her smooching.



Her baby smooches can be a little... enthusiastic. And quite often they involve the occasional tooth mark and a healthy helping of slobber. I was glad I covered the picture in plastic. I think she has been getting kissing tips from the dogs.


Speaking of dogs, someone wasn't too enthusiastic about the new addition to the house.




After a thorough warning bark, and some manly, nervous prancing, Archie gave up and took refuge in the coffee table.



He is a terrible pansy. Not only is he afraid of disembodied owners, but balloons, feather dusters and Christmas lights. It's a hard life for a dog.



My friends threw me a BBQ in honour of the day. Of course I took husband-on-a-stick.

It was in public.

With people we knew walking past.

I propped him up and he watched the whole thing. And I made him kiss me, too.  I am actually amazed I have friends who love me regardless of my antics.

These same long suffering friends brought me a massive bunch of beautiful flowers and an awesome present, too. It was a "Meet Me At Mike's" craft book, stuffed full of creative ideas that made me want to make Every Single Thing in the book immediately.


When I opened the book I noticed a lot of post-it notes. One of my friends had gone through the book and tagged all the things she wants as presents from me in the near future. I suspect the gift was not entirely altruistic!

I'm so glad I don't need friends-on-a-stick, too.

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Nienie

In other news, this is by far the most beautiful photo I have seen today. If you don't already read Nienie, drop by. You won't regret it.


Photo from Nienie Dialogues

Fashion folly

I admit it, I slipped into new mum fashion land. My wardrobe mainly consisted of tshirts, jeans and baggy shorts.

The truth is I had been there for a long while before I was pregnant, too. I spent so much time in a uniform at work that when the weekend finally rolled around I just wanted to be comfortable. I would go into a cheap chain store a couple of times a year and buy a few new tshirts, or replace my jeans when they became too worn, and that was it.

Having so much time off work this year really brought my wardrobe woes into stark relief. It came to a head when I took Baby to a play centre, and was by far the worst dressed person there. I didn't receive any dirty looks but I was thoroughly ignored.  (In my defence, I had just been to Bunnings Hardware and lugged dirty bags of sand, and the clientele of the centre that day all seemed to be members of the popped collars and pearls brigade. But still...)

So I cleaned out my wardrobe.  I waited until Baby was asleep then tried on every single item of clothing that I owned. I made two piles: flattering, and non flattering. It didn't matter if it was gym gear or a silk dress, if it didn't fit well, or was too worn or stained, it was out. This left me with about three shirts, a dress, my new jeans and a pair of shorts. Since it takes a full day for clothes to dry in this humidity, this was clearly not going to be sufficient!

Having all my clothes laid out also allowed me to take stock of my clothing habits. Although I favour a clean cut, slightly preppy look, this was not reflected in my clothes. I also noticed that I am far more likely to wear out a tshirt than stain or tear it - clearly I could look after my clothes, and the overall shabby look was coming from the cheap fabric, not my garment care.

It only took a couple of hours at the shops to restock my wardrobe. Although it was almost an automatic response to head to the same cheap chain stores and repeat my previous folly, I resisted. The clothes I bought were not expensive in the Gucci / Prada / Ralph sense of the word, but they were not cheap and nasty, either.

I chose a lovely linen shirt that will improve and soften with washing, which is lucky, as I'm sure Baby will take advantage. I also picked out a nice silk shirt. Although this one is hand wash, it is amazingly cool in the tropical heat and actually quite easy to launder - I've already done it twice (thanks Baby!) I added a couple more cotton, collared shirts and a new cotton dress. I tried to pick out clothes that were less casual than a tshirt, but didn't scream "repurposed work wear" and I think I mostly succeeded.

Since the cleanout, I have already noticed the change in people's attitude when they meet me. I didn't change my demeanour in any way, I just changed my clothes. I now get more smiles, more doors opened and more polite responses from shop keepers. I went back to the play centre and people approached me just to chat. A cleaner, neater type of person struck up a conversation with me at Baby Rhyme Time. This could all be a gross coincidence, but I doubt it. I now feel that I portray externally the way I feel inside, and it's a very comfortable feeling. I recommend it!

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

I'm being followed by a moon shadow

The moon tonight is fat, heavy and full. It's leering down into the warm tropical night; close enough to reach up and squeeze.

Tonight is a night for gin and tonics with plenty of ice, served in crystal on a wooden verandah. Tonight is a night for skinny dipping in a public pool, and then climbing back over the fence and running home barefoot. Tonight is a night for wading out into the ocean fully clothed in jeans, then lying back and watching the sky.

It's a night for lying on damp sheets with the window shutters open, and listening to the night birds complain about the abnormal light. It's a fine night for taking the dogs out, just to amble slowly along and let them burn off their werewolf induced energy, gamboling by the lake.

But I need to stay home. I need to be sensible. I need to watch over baby, listen for her cries and keep her safe. Because I want her to grow up and create her own memories of full-moon nights, too. I hope they are wonderful.

Monday, November 30, 2009

The Joy of Teleconferencing


Technology is fabulous.



Technology means a small girl can talk to her Daddy even when he is far away.




And the best thing about teleconferencing?




 Pants are entirely optional. No one will ever know...

Friday, November 27, 2009

Why I shouldn't window shop online

I have a crush.


A hat crush.

Isn't it beautiful?




I would wear this to go to the markets. I would wear it to the pool and while strolling along the shoreline. I am a hat person. It grew on me slowly. It's an occupational hazard. 

Here is a picture of a woman (who's not me) wearing it in a colour (that I don't want). And it's still gorgeous (especially since it's not me).




Unfortunately, it's not available from an Australian retailer, and shipping from overseas somehow costs more than the hat itself. So my hat crush will go unrequited. Johnny Depp and this hat have a lot in common.

LOLZ for Kate

Kate over at 'Killing a fly' asked for lolz.

Here are a couple from the Accidental Household:



 




Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Providence

My friend had a baby a month and a half after I did. She took a little while off work but had to go back, part time, due to her family's financial situation. Things are pretty tight for her family and I try to support her where I can. I helped her develop a budget, I give encouragement when she asks for it, and we only hang out together at places where we can be frugal - think fewer shoppping trips, far more park, swimming and walking dates.

She mentioned the other day that she and her husband are trying for another baby. This is great, exciting news! To be rich in family is clearly so much better than to be rich financially. However, it will be tough for them.

A few nights ago, very late, I had a sudden feeling - it was a drive, a brain wave. It came to me from nowhere. I climbed out of bed, went right to the back of the pantry and pulled out the dusty bottle of pregnancy vitamins that I had consistantly forgotten to take during my pregnancy. I had almost a full jumbo bottle of pills left.

I was meeting my friend the next afternoon, and I took the vitamins to her. I handed them over it like it was no big deal, just threw them into her nappy bag with an "I thought you might be able to use these". I certainly didn't expect her to be as overwhelmed and thankful as she was. It took me totally by surprise. 

It turns out she had run out of her pregnancy vitamins the night before, so the next morning she headed straight to the chemist. But she didn't buy any - they were all too expensive for her strict budget. She had stood there in the chemist, struggling with the dilemma of buying sufficient groceries for her family, or baby vitamins for a child not yet conceived. She sensibly picked the food. However, greater forces were at work. Somehow the amazing universe pulled together and made sure she got what she needed. I bet that a healthy baby comes along soon too!

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Teddy bear, teddy bear....

Oh hello there!  

My name is Balthasar. (You can call me Balty for short, I'm sure we'll be great friends.)


 

I will be tucked into a stocking on Christmas eve, to make a little baby girl very happy.




I'm looking foward to it! I dressed up especially. Just look at my snuggly jumper, it has snowflakes, just like my home at the North Pole.



And look at my snuggly hood. It's perfect for keeping my ears warm during sleigh rides with Santa.



I hope it is suitable for my new home in Australia. Tropical Australia. I guess we'll find out....

See you soon Baby!

Monday, November 23, 2009

I should be sleeping

"I never get enough sleep. I stay up late at night, 'cause I'm Night Guy. Night Guy wants to stay up late. 'What about getting 5 hours sleep?' 'Oh, that's Morning Guy's problem. That's not my problem, I'm Night Guy. I stay up as late as I want.' So when you get up in the morning, you're exhausted, groggy: 'Ooooh I hate that Night Guy!' See, Night Guy always screws Morning Guy. There's nothing Morning Guy can do. The only thing Morning Guy can do is try and oversleep often enough so that Day Guy loses his job and Night Guy has no money to go out anymore."
-Jerry Seinfeld.

This is me, without the going out.

I'm going to bed now.... or I might clean the bathrooms, sew my friends' Christmas presents, wash the dogs, do some laundry, write to my grandpa or surf the net. But I really should go to bed.

Sunday, November 22, 2009

A very early Christmas "tree"

I haven't been feeling very festive.



It's hard being festive when some days you feel like you are the only one hanging out on your branch.



I'm probably missing Mr Accident a little. Probably.




Normally I wouldn't be concerned about Christmas this early but I need to get motivated, and bring a little festive spirit into the Accidental Home. I am planning to make my friends Christmas presents and give them out at the family centre Christmas party in just one week. One week! Oh dear.




It didn't feel right putting up the whole Christmas tree, and with a sucky, energetic, mobile baby it seemed like a doubly bad idea. Instead I dragged half a dead tree home from the scrub near the house, pruned it back and stuck it up with little clear hooks and string. It's well clear of Baby, fills up some serious wall space, and is very low effort. And when Christmas is over? Just rescue the few scant ornaments and drag the rest outside for the gardener to deal with. That is about the maxium effort I am willing to expend on decorating for Christmas, especially this early.




The good news is I am now well on the way with the presents. Here is the prerequisite 'Baby's First Christmas' ornament. It looks a little out of place, but I love it anyway.



There, doesn't that look better?


Saturday, November 21, 2009

Mr Bibbity Bobbity Bunny has a bath

We had an unpleasant incident here today.



This is Mr Bibbity Bobbity Bunny. He is a particular friend of Baby. His little ears are just the right size for grabbing, to drag him along while crawling towards adventure.



His belly is just the right size for two little hands to circle and squeeze. His face is very understanding when there are babbling baby secrets to be told.




Unfortunately, Mr Bibbity Bobbity was a little too adventurous today. He was shown what Baby had for lunch yesterday. A light sponge bath wasn't going to cut it, so he was well and truly washed, and now he is hanging in the laundry looking particularly sorry for himself.



But tomorrow he will be dry and smell like Mrs Gardener's Jasmine and Chamomile, which is a vast improvement on his pungent scent an hour ago. Poor Mr Bibbity Bobbity Bunny.

Friday, November 20, 2009

I won!

Against *enormous* odds, I won a giveaway over at "Killing a Fly with a Ukulele... is probably the wrong thing to do"! A whole $50 to spend as I like at Buyster Lighting. I didn't even know this online store existed, but they have some nice stuff.

Now the challenge is picking out something that I like, that doesn't have me blowing the budget. Because I do have a very soft spot for Tiffany lamps, like this one.



But I already have a Tiffany table lamp (thanks Mum!) so another would just be greedy. Perhaps a Tiffany floor lap? It would look fabulous beside my favourite reading chair.



But wait, look at this! So cute! So green! Perfect for the jungle themed nursery...



But in the end, I looked in my wallet, counted my pennies, and went with this one:



Sensible. Practical. Flexible. Perfect for the dark dark sewing room. It is actually cute in it's own way - it looks like it has a cheeky personality tucked under it's bonnet.

And since I've given a shameless plug for the Buyster Lighting (my affections are for sale, and at a low low price!) I will now plug Kate's blog, too. Go and pay her a visit, her kids are cute, her dog is naughty, and her adventures make excellent reading.

Go on... I'll be here when you get back.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Hill walking

There is a massive hill near my house.


(this is not my house)
I try and hill walk every day.

Not necessarily this hill. Sometimes it's just the hill between the bedroom and the kitchen. That can be a big hill some mornings.

Sometimes it's the emotional hill of dropping my beautiful baby at childcare. That's a pretty big hill.

But when I wake up early and fresh enough, and I have time to get up and back down and still beat the tropical heat, I walk this hill.



Baby loves it, I leave her in her pyjamas and she nods off again.



That's me looking all sweaty and red there.  That's baby, sleeping like.. a baby. When I'm old and grey I'm going to make her push me up this hill in my wheelchair.




My favourite bit of the whole hill is not the view, although it's spectacular.





It's not the interesting flora or fauna.





It's this bit.



This is where I have a rest on the way up.

Taking the occasional rest is very important, on every hill. Even the bedroom to kitchen ones.

Especially when you didn't realise that the wheels on the stroller were completely flat, and it feels like you've been pushing wet sand uphill. Not that I'd know anything about that. My stroller wheels are always fully pumped. Aren't yours?

Monday, November 16, 2009

Diary of a Mum

Make baby a tiny fruit salad. Baby eats some fruit salad. Baby gets bored. Baby tries to take spoon. Give baby own spoon. Baby digs into bowl and flicks pawpaw onto my clean shorts. Make mental note to change shorts.

Feed baby more fruit. Baby uses her spoon as a sword and parries every mouthful. Take baby’s spoon. Baby refuses to eat any more fruit. Soft lumps are Too Much Like Hard Work. Baby still hungry. Five minutes until we have to leave.

Get yoghurt. Hide hated cereal in yoghurt as extra iron. Feed baby yoghurt. Baby finds cereal, complains. Feed baby more yoghurt. Baby eats it anyway. Baby is getting tired eyes. Rubs hands from yoghurt covered mouth into eyes and through hair. Baby falls asleep coated in yoghurt. Pick up baby. Knock bowl and get yoghurt on shorts. Underline mental note to change shorts.

Wash sleeping baby. Change sleeping baby’s nappy. Rush sleeping baby out the door, 5 minutes behind time.

Drive to Rhyme Time. Misread the clock, actually one hour early.
Sit in car while baby sleeps. Forgot book, read carseat manual instead. Wish library opened an hour earlier.

Baby wakes up for Rhyme Time. Go inside. Realise I forgot to change shorts and the stains look dodgy. Hold squirming baby on my lap for the hour in an effort to hide shorts. Smile encouragingly as the librarian wrangles 30 toddlers from the Future Soccer Hooligan Development Program.

Best friend arrives. Notices stains in less than a minute. Laughs, compares stains. Mine are newer but larger. Leave Hooligans, get coffee.

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Pizza

Friday night in the Accidental Household is Pizza Night. This usually goes hand in hand with Beer Night!

I have been keeping up the tradition about once a month while Mr Accident has been away, but not necessarily on a friday - I'm lucky if I know exactly what day of the week it is, most of my days seem to run happily together.

I bought a pizza today, one of the frozen, boxed types. It was "Double Beef 'n' Bacon" apparently. But when I read the ingredient list it was a nasty surprise. It started out with flour, water and cheese. Fair enough. But then... what's this? "Manufactured Bacon"? At least it actually contained pork as the main ingredient. As I read further, I passed tomato paste and onions to reach "Manufactured Beef". Oh dear. This contained no beef at all. None. Just thickener, flavour and salt. Yuck! I was rapidly losing my appetite.

Since I am loathe to skip pizza night all together, it looks like I will have to make my own from now on. Any tips are greatly appreciated!

Baby bum



It took a long while to convince me that cloth nappies would work for my family. I thought of them as smelly, unsanitary, laundry inducing nightmares. I had visions of soaker buckets and leakage. I was so so wrong.

I use peapods, and I love them. They have a waterproof liner attached to a poly lining, and then you stuff a bamboo insert inside. They close with press studs sewn onto the nappy, so they are no harder to put on than a normal disposable. They don't need soaking, I just put them in a lidded bucket and wash them each evening with the daily normal load. Too easy!



The best part is that now my bin isn't full up, and it smells much nicer.

Oh, who am I kidding. The best part is the adorable, massive, cloth baby bum. Look at this!