Archive for the Parenting Category
Written on May 31, 2010 by Jen
Filed Under: Parenting
photo credit: aJ GAZMEN ? GucciBeaR
I was going to respond to Picklebum’s post about Falling from a sugar high with a comment, but saw an opportunity for a post of my own.
My son responds to sugar (or is it certain additives?) in a negative way. I first noticed it when he had some lemonade and he started going quite silly, more silly than normal. From thereon I only let him have the Natural lemonade – one without the extra bits. I can’t remember the brand at the moment but it seemed to help negate the sugar high. He has since grown out of this so a glass of lemonade when we go out for dinner is okay by me.
There are two other instances when having a bunch of lollies was not a good thing.
The first was at a colleague’s leaving do at my workplace. There was the obligatory plate of lollies on the table and probably because I was too busy to see what he ate, he’d eaten a whole bunch of them. The sugar high hit when the speeches were being made. As the volume of the people in the room dropped to listen to the speeches, JJ’s volume rose and he got the dreaded ’shoosh’ from someone. I thought, bugger it, I’m staying. He mustn’t have been too out of order otherwise I would have left while the speeches were on.
The other time was when we were at a party and he gobbled heaps of green jelly beans. I must have been feeling lenient that day because normally I wouldn’t let him eat this many but I knew he’d eaten too many when he starting vomiting green liquid while standing in the middle of a group I was a part of. It was a bit like the exorcist just much funnier – only because the vomit was bright green. I pretended I didn’t know who he was only that didn’t really work because they all knew he was my son. Luckily we were outside and he didn’t vomit all over someone’s carpet and all was forgotten pretty quickly.
Generally I try and oversee the junk food consumption when we’re out but it’s not always easy and when I see a whole packet of lollies being emptied into a bowl at any party I just cringe. He’s a bit easier to reason with now and I don’t think he’ scoff too many in one sitting especially if I said not to. But then as he’s older now the sugar thing doesn’t seem to affect him anywhere near as much as it used to.
Recently we were sitting down to dinner and The Surfer was around too and JJ informed me that I didn’t pack him enough in his lunch box. I asked him what he wanted, as if I’ve never asked him before, and he said he’d like some raw carrots. Ever since, I’ve put two raw carrots in his lunchbox in addition to the other bits and pieces. What I’m trying to say is that he’s a pretty healthy eater but I remember the time when it was an effort for him to eat vegetables at all. I had to really work at getting him back into eating them – after all he lived on mushed vegies when he first starting eating solids!
For the record he eats a HUGE breakfast – a bowl of corn flakes and about four to five weetbix. I serve him the same size meals as myself and he’s only eight, nearly nine. I don’t want to think about what he’s food intake will be when he’s a bit older but I’ve already told him he’ll be getting a job as soon as he’s legally able to, to help pay for the food he’ll eat.
Written on May 17, 2010 by Jen
Filed Under: Journal, Parenting
JJ got invited to a birthday party recently and he could bring an adult of his choice. His choice was me of course, well actually it wasn’t but he got me anyway, and we took along my fella too.
It was so we could all go kayaking and there needed to be adults there to be the skippers of the kayaks.
Two of the women there were too frightened to be the skippers so it’s lucky we had a spare adult, and lucky that two adults and a child could fit in a couple of the kayaks. You can see us above trying out the boats to make sure we could reach the pedals for the rudder.
It’s been a long time since I paddled a boat so I was a bit nervous but thought I’d muddle my way through it. I’m sure there’s a way of paddling so your lap doesn’t get completely wet but I didn’t get that lesson.
We went through the mangroves which were pretty amazing and a little bit hard to negotiate through when you’re not a very experienced kayaker.
Because only one party could go through at a time when we came back out there was another group waiting to go in. I thought I had it sussed out to steer past the low branches but I didn’t quite make it and went too close to them. An expletive or two left my mouth and my son apologised to the group for his mum swearing. I was quite embarrassed that we’d drawn so much attention to ourselves. But paddle on we did.
What I wasn’t able to capture with my camera was the dolphin who swam near us nearly the whole way and came out of the water every now and then. He came pretty close to us.
After we’d done the mangroves JJ and I had pretty much worked out how to get some speed happening with the kayak and had a race back to the dock.
We did stop near the end to give my camera to my fella so he could take some photos of myself and JJ which we hardly ever get as I’m more comfortable behind the camera than in front of it.
Although JJ was pretty good while we were in the boat he was a bit silly once we got out of it and I ended up putting him in the car so he could calm down. Even on the way home I’d had enough and asked him to be quiet but he’s not one to be very quiet and it had been quite a tiring day and I was worn down.
This was the night that my fella (let’s call him the surfer as that’s what he does in his spare time) and I had a discussion about whether I thought he oversteps the mark in disciplining JJ. No, I don’t think he does, and he’s not on his back the whole time either. He backs up what I do and say with JJ and to be quite honest it’s really good to have that backup for a change. Maybe it will make things sink in a bit quicker with him having someone other than his mum saying the same things to him.
It was hard not to compare my noisy JJ with a classmate that we took to the party who was really well behaved the whole time and very courteous and mostly quiet. A complete contrast! Sometimes I feel like it’s a never ending battle with JJ having to explain things over and over and over without them ever seeming to sink in. This is why I try to remember the good stuff he does and to emphasise that to him.
Written on April 21, 2010 by Jen
Filed Under: Parenting
On Monday morning I caught the red-eye flight to Melbourne. This meant waking up at 4.20am to be at the airport for 5.30am. I had to be there for two days of work so it wasn’t a trip I could take JJ on.
I feel a bit resentful that I had to organise childcare for work when I could be using it for my social life – I feel I’ve only so many babysitting brownie points.
Because I had to leave so early on Monday morning JJ stayed at my sister’s on Sunday night. For some reason I can’t fathom she didn’t want to stay at my place and be woken up so early.
Unfortunately I felt quite seedy on Sunday morning due to some over-indulgence on Saturday evening, but came good by Sunday afternoon. Fortunately this allowed me to be super organised for Monday morning. I had myself packed for my one night and two days away and I had JJ organised for one night away and his Monday lunch packed and a list written and some things packed for his Tuesday lunch.
A good friend picked JJ up from school on Monday afternoon and brought him home, gave him dinner etc and got him ready for school on Tuesday morning.
As neither my sister or my good friend could pick him up from school on Tuesday I organised another friend to pick JJ up from school on Tuesday until I got home later that evening.
I didn’t sleep very well on Monday night because I had to turn the room’s air conditioner on and it was loud and I don’t think it worked very well as the room was quite stuffy. I don’t like sleeping in a stuffy room. I would wake up, roll over and then go back to sleep.
Between meetings over the two days my colleague and I managed to go shopping. She’s into shopping even more than I am and did very well. I did quite well too. We managed a quick visit to the Spencer Street DFO late Monday afternoon and between meetings on Tuesday we were on Clarendon Street in South Melbourne. I bought a ring, a scarf, a top, a worry doll for my son and a little cloth handbag.
I felt like a bit of an idiot after I’d asked the taxi driver what the building below was as it looks so obvious from here. This photo was taken a block away from Bridge Road in Richmond but unfortunately didn’t have time to go shopping there.
I think overall the trip was fruitful and I spent much of today going through my emails from the last couple of days and typing up notes I took from people we visited. I also went into work late.
Written on April 15, 2010 by Jen
Filed Under: Journal, Parenting
Last weekend JJ went to his first Scouts camp. He wasn’t really keen on going but I was pretty sure that he would absolutely love it. We organised all his belongings and labelled everything and packed it all. It was a gorgeous setting where they went, the scout leader’s wife’s family vineyard in the Barossa Valley.
He’d had a late night the night before so fell asleep in the car on the way there. It was a one and a half hour drive from our house through the northern suburbs where I hardly ever go. I’m used to driving down south all the time and the distance doesn’t bother me but with unfamiliar territory it seems to take so much longer.
I hung around for a while with him, put his stuff in the tent where he would be sleeping with five other boys. I thought about him constantly over the weekend and wondered how he was doing.
I managed to keep busy. I had a two hour drive back to my boyfriend’s house. Have I mentioned that I’ve been seeing someone? No, I don’t think I have. Kept that quiet didn’t I? It’s the same guy that I had a bit of a thing with late last year but didn’t continue with because he wanted to be friends. He’s come to his senses and now we’re ’seeing each other’ (for two and a half months now), and it’s great.
But this isn’t about him, or me. It’s about JJ and his first scouting adventure.
I drove back to pick him up on Sunday and had to practically drag him away. They had a great time hiking, riding a motorised jeep thing (can’t think of the proper name), doing archery which JJ absolutely loved. They even had to help with the cooking so last night as I started peeling my potatoes for dinner, JJ asked if he could do some. I let him do one and then he cut up most of them under my supervision. He said he really enjoys it. Guess what his new job now is.
He fell asleep again on the way home and the photo above is from on the way home. We unpacked his stuff, I realised that his shoes were missing, the one thing I didn’t label! I made the mistake of giving him a haircut. Don’t give a boy a haircut when he’s tired that’s all I will say. He was in bed at 7pm, and not long asleep after that and I wasn’t too far behind him.
Written on March 12, 2010 by Jen
Filed Under: Music, Parenting
Last week was a great week with going to see musicians who’ve been around for a long time. Firstly it was AC/DC on Tuesday evening. I had trouble remembering the last stadium type concert I went to, not including things like The Big Day Out and Womadelaide. Maybe it was Madonna in 1993?
Anyway, AC/DC it was. I was extremely lucky to be taken along by a gorgeous man and I enjoyed it thoroughly. My son was worried about the beating my ear drums might take but it wasn’t too loud. Probably something to do with the nearby North Adelaide residents complaining? I don’t know. A colleague who lives in North Adelaide said she could hear a bit of bass and the crowd singing along more than anything.
We had trouble finding what gate to go in as the one that was on our tickets wasn’t signposted at all. Just about everyone else seemed to be lining up for the main gate and that would have taken quite some time to get through. When we did eventually find our entrance we spent the next 15 minutes waiting to buy merchandise because the woman in front of us couldn’t decide what type of tank top to get in what size.
Then we went to go onto oval and found out that you needed a wristband for that but we hadn’t had the option of getting one at the gate we entered by so had to trot over to the main gate to get it.
We were pretty much in the middle of Adelaide oval so I couldn’t see that much on stage and there’s always someone at least a head taller standing in front of me at these things. Thank goodness for the big screens. Angus was just superb. I’ve never seen such guitar playing. Considering their ages they all do a really good job. My only beef was that they didn’t sing Long Way to the Top.
Despite 42,000 people plus leaving the venue afterwards it wasn’t too hard to get home. We’d caught the tram in and after helping a bloke off the side of the road who’d crashed out with half his body on the road, we caught a tram that was full of other concert goers. It was a really good vibe and I’m so glad I went.
A few days after that Tom Jones was on the menu. A friend who was working at the gig organised a bunch of free tickets which I happened to hear about. Another friend organised the bus so about 30 of us hopped on the Tom Jones express for a two hour drive to the Barossa Valley to see Tom Jones.
It poured with rain on the drive down and kudos to our bus driver for getting us there and back on the creaky bus in one piece. Fortunately the rain didn’t persist and it only rained for a short while after we arrived.
There was seating out in a fan shape in front of the stage which meant us general admission people had a small space at the side to view Tom but it wasn’t too crowded and we still got a good view and we were able to boogie, unlike the seated people who were told off by security if they stood up. Why pay extra for a seat I wonder?
All too soon it was over and we had a two hour bus trip going home. After drinking beers on the way there and red wine at the concert, I had a bit of a headache so closed my eyes and rested most of the way home. I wasn’t alone there.
So early the next afternoon we went to pick up my son from his friend’s house. He’d been absolutely wonderful there which is great for me when I want to ask them again to have him. But on the way to the beach to walk us and the dog he was mister grumpy pants and continued to sulk for the whole walk on the beach. I guess coming home to mum after having a fabulous time at his friends was an anti-climax, but still it brought me down off my Tom Jones high that’s for sure.
The photo above is of him walking ahead of us on the beach and you can see the storm clouds in the distance. Those clouds kind of suited his mood.
Tonight he has another sleepover booked – March is a busy time for socialising here – and he was the best behaved JJ I’ve ever seen. He was helpful, thoughtful and just plain lovely. I told him that I much prefer that JJ to the grumpy one I witnessed on Sunday. Not sure that he’ll remember that – I’m sure I’m in for more grumpiness but a girl can live in hope.
Written on February 20, 2010 by Jen
Filed Under: Journal, Parenting, Photos
When he starts complaining that I never do anything for him I’m going to point him to this post I’m about to write and to the last one about going fishing.
After a particularly late and overindulgent night out at an Elvis party I drove us up to the foothills to see our cousins baby rats. I knew of their existence thanks to Facebook and commented that JJ would love to see them. It was so arranged and off we went. Remember that I was feeling quite tired and a little bit seedy and he was lucky I didn’t cancel and just stay in front of the tv or lie in bed.
Once we got there, however, it was good to see the baby rats. They hadn’t quite opened their eyes yet and all they do is sleep on top of each other and feed.
Their mum and her mate were quite cute too and very inquisitive. This one loved my camera case.
JJ loved observing them and holding them and didn’t hassle me as much as I thought he might to take one or two home. I’ve nothing against pet rats, I just don’t want any more responsibility for living creatures. And I don’t know how Monty would take it.
Once these little ones are old enough they’ll go back to the pet shop. Lots of people must have rats as pets.
Written on February 18, 2010 by Jen
Filed Under: Journal, Parenting, Photos
JJ still continues to really enjoy cub scouts and the other night they went on a fishing excursion. I realised a few days beforehand that our $7 fishing rod was broken so with a borrowed fishing rod off we went.
The aim was to have a bit of fun and to earn a badge so with a bit of extra homework JJ has to do hopefully he will have earned his first badge. I’m not a very pushy scout mum when it comes to badge earning.
Fishing doesn’t really do it for me but I must admit it was lovely to spend a warm evening down by the beach. I wish I’d taken my bathers to go in for a dip though – a bit further down from the fishing crowd of course.
Even Scout Larry came along and enjoyed himself despite being tied up.
I even had a bit of a go at casting out myself and all of them were at an angle.
While observing JJ I could see how at peace he was while standing there holding his fishing rod. Looking at him be at peace made me realise what the fishing fascination is with so many people. I’m kind of getting it.
Unfortunately we didn’t catch anything but them’s the breaks.
Even though all he wants is money to buy electronic games for his birthday I reckon a fishing rod would be just the ticket too.
