Opportunities Taken

I've learned not to share my op-shop scores with my mister, he just doesn't get it and his lack of enthusiasm rains all over my cheap shopping high parade. I will start sharing here instead.

Taken home from the op-shop this week...

• $2  Twister
• $2  Tangram  (by Haba, the German maker of a lot to the beautiful wooden toys I see in the boutique kid shops)
• $5  Spicy orange shoes for winter (just need to rub off the black marks on the toe)

Cheap $9 thrill!

Mx

Yarn Along

Working in alien green, and reading Perfume as our new book club selection.

We have a Disney Party next weekend, the crochet will be part of a "little green men" from Toy Story costume for the wee man. If it works out I will post the pattern.

Playing along with Ginny over at Small Things.

Mx

Creative Space

In my Creative space today, 5 old work shirts ready to be ironed and cut in to 5 inch squares for a quilt for the wee man.

Lets see if I can have it ready for his 1st birthday!

hop on over to Kirst's to check out other Creative Spaces.

Mx

Yarn Along

Playing along with Ginny again.



Knitting :: a Wurm beanie that was supposed to be for me but has turned out so small I'm hoping it will still be large enough to fit Charlie. This comes (again) from jumping straight in without doing a gauge square and using Granny's hand spun mystery ply wool. When will I learn?

Reading :: two books to help me with parenting once I have a walking talking little person, and loving them both. While How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk is specifically dealing with Children Punished by Rewards has chapters focused on both Children and adults. Such interesting books saying similar things.

The gist of Punished by Rewards is that rewards are the other side of the punishment coin and just as manipulative and ineffective a way of controlling people as punishment. Rewards may appear to work in the short term,but actually have the opposite effect of what you are trying to achieve in the long run because extrinsic motivators reduce intrinsic motivation and the desired result ends up being viewed as an obstacle to a goodie (reward). I think this book should be on the reading list of every teacher and manager of people. I'm just about to start the second half of the book where it discusses alternatives to using punishments and rewards.

I'm happy to have found How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk because its based on respect for children and their feelings as people not just little beings to be controlled but gives you effective and respectful ways to communicate with kids so they aren't little brats embarassing you at the supermarket (I'm totally frightened of being the too soft mum who can't control her kids). The opposite of "because I told you to" parenting without the use of punishments or rewards! So easy to read and has great examples of the principles being used by real families.

What are you reading? Any favourite parenting book recommendations?
Hop on over to Small Things to check out other Yarn Along'ers

Mx

0.5

the wee man passed the 6 month mark this week, where does the time go??

A quick look at where we're at...

- I've never slept less in my life, but I'm coping better than I ever thought I would.

- The cot has been pushed away from the bed and the fourth side has been attached to it. I wanted to co-sleep but wee man sleeps better in his own space (though you wouldn't guess it by the following).

- Naps have shortened to 45 minutes and last night he woke up every 45 mins. I hope this is just temporary and related to teeth?

- One tooth, bottom LHS. Probably the sleep thing is teeth related, he popped another between writing this and posting.

- Wee man enjoys a quarter of an avocado for dinner and likes to try and drink my drinks out of my glass.

- We have not done EC as I would have liked but wee man is pretty regular with his BM's and we generally catch them first thing in the morning in the laundry trough.

- Still sporting his baby mullet and not much else in the hair department.

- Weighs about 8kg but I prefer to carry him in the hug-a-bub over pushing him in a pram.

- Baths are outside on the back deck in the tummy tub, this may change soon as he grows and the weather cools down.

- Fingernails seem to grow at the speed of light and are kitten sharp.

- He still gomits (niece for vomit)

- I wish I had taken more photos when he was tiny.

so, does this gig get easier or harder? I've been told both.

Mx

February

1. 2011 0202, 2. 2011 0203, 3. 2011 0209, 4. 2011 0213, 5. 2011 0218, 6. 2011 0219, 7. 2011 0220, 8. 2011 0221, 9. 2011 0224

February

...was a month of heat...

...catching up with friends from overseas...

...a time of firsts (food and tooth)...

in regards to my 365 project, my inner perfectionist would say "it's got such big holes, so many days are missing and it's only been two months, give up already." I must be letting that part of me go a little because I don't care.

How was February for you? Do you believe summer is over? It certainly doesn't feel that way here.

Mx