I've been having an affair with a Thermomix

My apologies for being a bit absent lately, I've been having an affair with a Thermomix.


This is Thelma!

It's FINALLY mine!

I bit the bullet and bought a Thermomix. After spending the majority of last year lusting over one, and then spending the beginning of this year questioning if I really wanted one, I did it. And I love her.

I had seen it in action late last year and I was impressed, but I didn't realise just how much of a godsend it was until it was mine. Until it was in MY kitchen, cooking MY dinners for MY family. It's been a week since 'she' arrived and she has brought that little spark back in my kitchen.

Since returning to work earlier this year, I have really struggled finding that balance and keeping ontop of the things I do at home. Add a little back issue where I've been pretty useless... well it's just been a bit of a rough few months! Thelma (yes, that's her name) allows me to cook really healthy meals for the family, without standing over the stove. It's bliss! AND the best thing? I am now cooking a hell of a lot more, having fun doing it (less dishes = awesome!), and STILL having that time to spend with the kids.

And at the end of the day, if there's an appliance that gives me more time with them, I want it.



Apple Tea Cake


Ham and Cheese Bread Rolls


Pumpkin Scones

Dear Energy: Where have you gone?

It's Monday. It's still morning and I am running off what feels like zero sleep the night before. I feel a little bit Zombie-like and I have a cute little toddler to thank for it.

Our little guy has been having some night terrors of late, but for some reason last night he just didn't want to go to sleep. At all. We resorted to pulling his little fold-out couch into our room and eventually he fell asleep, only to wake up a couple of hours later and scream from 1:00am to 4:00am. His day started at 5:00am.

I took him to day care this morning feeling somewhat guilty that I am leaving them to care for who will be a grizzly and overtired little man. And as I drove to work I was praying for coffee; nice, strong coffee.

The thing is though, lately, I have been tired. Alot. I think the issues with my back (and having to take it easy) has attributed to it, but I am just.... blergh. I feel horrible. Bloated. Tired. I could sleep for a good couple of days, and just cannot be bothered doing much. And who would want to with or weather not being overly inviting lately.

I have no energy at the moment. I feel heavy.

I am looking forward to getting back into my work-outs again, but that's still a while off. I am limited to 'strolls' which don't really do much for me. I miss the buzz that comes with exercising, I miss adrenalin and endorphins. I just miss wanting to do more than get into my warm, comfy PJ's and slippers, and snooze.

I just miss having energy! *yawn*

Blast from the past: An Open Letter to Gaga

I found this letter within my Facebook 'notes' the other day (before I started blogging). A letter I wrote on the eve of my induction, the day before the journey started to meeting our little man.

That little man is now 20-months. Twenty months. He'll soon be two years old, talking (and talking back)... and then onto kindy and school with his bigger brother.

Feels like I only wrote this last week...

Ps. Ryder was named Gaga whilst in utero, it seemed to fit as I was heavily into Lady Gaga, so Baby Gaga sounded funny at the time :) Until we decided on his actual name... then he became 'Knightrider'. Hubby would say goodnight to me and then say 'Night Ryder' to my belly and laugh.

Every.Night.

GaGa,

Here we are, now only days away from you entering the world, and there's so much I want you to know. I want you to know what you mean to me (your Mummy), your Daddy and your bigger brother (Logan) and how much happiness you're going to bring to our lives.

Mummy and Daddy thought that we would never have you and in a way, you're our little miracle. Ever since we knew that you were on your way into this world, we've felt incredibly blessed and lucky and we've never taken it for granted. From the first moment we saw your little heart beating, we've been completely besotted and your brother has been bursting with excitement, asking almost daily when you'll be joining our family.

Mummy felt so strongly that you were a girl, so we were very surprised to see you growing a little willy. We even asked for a second opinion because Mummy didn't believe the radiographer - we had a girl's name all picked out, so imagine our surprise when we're thrown into thinking of slugs, snails and puppy dogs tails! It didn't take us very long to get our heads around the surprise and relish in the awesomeness of having another little man running about - Logan has brought us so much happiness and we know that you will do the same. Our house is never quiet and Daddy is always off doing boy-ish things and has such big dreams of building go-karts, kicking the footy and watching V8's with you both; the thought of you being anything other than a boy now doesn't seem right. Mummy can teach you all about how to treat a girl the right way, how to be respectful and loving - you'll only have to look at your Daddy to see how a real man behaves, he'll be the perfect role model in your life. If Daddy ever gives you up for a few minutes, Mummy can also teach you how to cook some good meals! Logan loves cooking with Mummy in the kitchen <3

At the end of the day, we just want you to be happy in your life. We will support you in everything you want to do; you can come to us with your problems and we will always help you. We will never judge your life choices and make you feel less than the amazing son that we know you will be. Anyone who makes you feel less then that will have your Daddy and big brother to deal with.

Every night, Daddy has been saying goodnight to you and giving you cuddles and every night Logan has kissed you goodnight and has asked when you're coming out of Mummy's tummy - you are already loved beyond any words. Mummy has felt all your kicks, from the small butterfly flutters, to the rib stabs that she gets now, so we know that there's not much room left and you're on your way out. Mummy has even felt your hiccups, so you need to learn to slow down when you eat (much like Daddy!).

The past 9 months, whilst they have been a challenge for Mummy, have been the most fulfilling months and we know that the best is yet to come. We've watched you grow from a tiny bubble into what we've been told is a whopper of a baby and we cannot wait to meet you.

From the moment you enter this world our little family of 4 will be complete and perfect <3

We love you so much,

Mummy and Daddy <3

Us Vs. The non-talking Toddler

As seen in SA Kids Parenting Magazine: May/June 2013





Our little man has found his voice. He has also found the floor, his limbs and his sense of desire. If he wants something he can’t have, the voice, the floor and his limbs culminate in a trifecta of disaster, otherwise known as a tantrum.

Tantrums are completely foreign to me – I remember my first exposure to this a month or so ago when he wanted some (more) tomato sauce. He dropped to the floor and scrambled around on his belly, then rolled onto his back, kicking and screaming.

I must admit that I laughed. I found it comical that someone could get so worked up over tomato sauce. Was it really worth the effort? I called my husband into the kitchen to observe. We giggled together and let him have his little dummy spit. And he got over it.

We learnt very quickly that this wasn’t a once off – tantrums form part of our day-to-day life now, almost as frequent as the nappy changes.

As a parent, I’m finding this phase of development a challenge. I’ve dealt with the sleepless nights and reflux/colic, and we’ve recently been exposed to the fun that comes with night terrors. But tantrums? This is a whole new realm of fun!

The language barrier is a real challenge for us. All we want to do is cuddle him and talk him through his frustration, but how on earth do you talk to a toddler that doesn’t understand a word you say? And conversely he can’t tell us what’s wrong –although he’s very good at pointing his finger and telling us to ‘look’. At everything.

When it comes to tantrums, we’ve had to accept it’s pointless trying to talk him through it and reason with him. He’s a toddler, he’s 19 months old and he just wants what he wants.

We know he won’t understand reason until his development is at a point where he can comprehend what we’re saying, so explaining/bargaining with him is lost. We just have to allow him to get his frustrations out, while standing our ground about what he can and can’t have.

He’s not being naughty – he’s expressing his frustrations in the only way he knows how at the moment. As parents we need to allow him that outlet, and focus on encouraging his language development. Love him, nurture him and have a secret giggle at his expense from time to time. And remember, this too shall pass.