To save you the long, drawn out saga I'm going to try and restrain myself and keep this brief. Wish me luck!
Sept 2010:
One school morning, not for the first time, our then 7 year old daughter was curled up in foetal position on our bedroom floor sobbing and begging me not to make her go to school. This is not normal behaviour for our girl who loves to learn, read, write and socialise. For this to be happening again sent alarm bells ringing in my head.
I had noticed a few other things too. She had started to chew her fingernails. Her usual thumb-sucking when tired was now almost constant. She was breaking off bits of her hair. And she had developed a nervous, long eye blinking. I'd also noticed that the eye blinking had disappeared during the 2 week school holidays and returned after resuming the new school term.
So I talked to her. "Tell me why. Tell me what happens at school."
It's really noisy. The teacher has to yell. Other kids interrupt the class all the time. I can't get my work done. The teacher says, "No more questions. Hands down.", and I don't get an answer to my questions.
I want to say here that I spent a lot of time in the classroom and I knew that what she was talking about did in fact happen. After spending a hour helping out in the room I was glad to escape it.
So she had a day at home and then returned to school. At the end of the week, after school had been let out a few parents were gathered chatting when a student from her class threw a handful of bark chips into her face. A lot went in her mouth. She was understanding upset and he stood and laughed at her. This was probably the straw that broke the camel's back. The culmination of a whole lot of little things that make a crappy everyday into an "I can't take it anymore" day.
At that point I promised her that she would never have to go back to that class. And I kept that promise.
So we explored our options. We looked at other local State Schools. We found them mostly overcrowded, with room for one child but not the other. One of the Principals suggested we go back to the school Principal where the kids were currently enrolled and try to sort out the problem. Ask for counselling and ask for a meeting with the teacher and the Principal.
So we did that. We submitted a detailed letter with out concerns and requests and organised a meeting with the Principal. What ensued was disheartening. To say the least. The Principal asserted that the class in question was a "normal" class. He refused our request for guidance counselling to assist our daughter. He insisted that changing schools was playing our "trump card" and presented an action plan to ease our daughter back into the classroom. In other words he discounted all our concerns and had a preconceived plan for us to follow. Only problem was the plan was built on the flawed foundation that nothing was wrong with the classroom. The attitude that he presented to us was that our daughter was manipulating us to get out of going to school.
At this point I feel it's important to say that I believe his assessment of the situation was completely, totally incorrect. I know my children and I stood by my convictions that something is wrong in the classroom.
Our son had a history of being bullied at the school so we pulled both our kids out of the school and embarked on Distance Education for the last term of the school year. Which meant an awful lot of work for me, being the at home parent supervising lessons and organising everyone. There were a lot of benefits though. I could see where our son has missed some basics along the way and could work with him and his teacher to catch him up. The kids discovered that I actually have a pretty good knowledge of the world. All our work was done between 8am and midday and the rest of the day was free time.
The problem was that although we went to the museum and other outings with home based families, the kids wanted to experience more and missed having other kids to play. So we again investigated our options and set up a meeting with the Principal of a local Catholic school. Which irked me because I'm not religious at all. But the kids were accepted and to date it is one of the most positive decisions we made for our children.
The very first week of school our son said, "We did the right thing."
Some of the kids observations:
There are no bullies.
The teachers listen to us, even if another teacher comes up to them to ask a question.
Everyone smiles.
There's so many interesting things to do.
After an initial few weeks of settling back into a school routine our daughter has bloomed into a confident, happy child. She learning so much, has been accelerated in her learning, has some great friends, has lost all her nervous habits (except for the nail biting) and enjoys going to school.
The only complaint I've received about the school is that they have to say a prayer each morning.
I figured if saying a prayer is the biggest issue you have at school, it's a pretty good school.
Don't give up on your kids. Don't discount their unhappiness. Keep trying to find a workable solution. Don't take on board what other people say when they don't know your child.
Our WHOLE FAMILY is less stressed because the kids are happy. I feel confident that I can drop my kids at school and they will be cared for. They feel respected and they feel safe. That's all I ask for.
Monday, 6 February 2012
Powerful Vs Empowered
Gaining something someone else covets can give a sense of power. That sense of power can only be held for as long as someone else covets whatever it is you have. Therefore it is not empowering. It is transient. Maintaining that perceived power means ensuring that other people covet whatever it is you have. If they dont, that perceived power is lost. Therefore it was never empowering.
Wednesday, 7 December 2011
Not Quite Creamy Potato Bake
There's a really great recipe here for potato bake that I've cooked before and loved. A few months back I decided to tweak it a little with what I had on hand and it ended up becoming something that very slightly resembled the original recipe if you turned sideways and squinted at it.
Each time I make it I forget to take a pic and by the time I remember it's pretty much been demolished and looking a shadow of it's former divine glory. So I'm going to give you the recipe and hopefully remember to take a picture.
Vicki's Creamy Sweet Potato/Butternut Pumpkin/Feta Cheese Bake
I use:
A small carton of pure cream (300ml)
Please use pure cream. Thickened cream is pure cream beaten with a whole lot of additives added to keep it thick. If you ever need thickened cream buy pure cream and beat it for a few minutes. It will taste ever so much more delicious without all the additives and your body will thank you.
A mixture of diced sweet potato and butternut pumpkin
180g package Goat's Milk Feta Cheese diced or crumbled
Grated Cheddar Cheese and Parmesan Cheese
This is what I do:
Preheat the oven to 170 deg C. If it's too hot the cream will separate so don't be tempted to cook it faster at a higher heat.
Grab a casserole dish (preferably one with a lid).
Throw in the diced vegetables, the sliced onion, the feta cheese and mix it around. Get in with your hands. It's great fun.
Pour over the cream.
Sprinkle over the cheeses.
Put the lid on the casserole dish or cover it with foil/whatever heat tolerant cover you have.
Bake for one hour. Take the cover off and bake for another half hour.
Done. Simple. Delicious. Eat it. Thank me later. ;)
A few other combinations you might like to try:
Throw in some diced bacon/prosciutto/ham/salami.
Add some pine nuts.
Basil would go beautifully with this.
Make it a one dish dinner and add some broccoli and diced chicken.
Enjoy and keep cooking!! Pure, simple food as close to natural as possible.
Each time I make it I forget to take a pic and by the time I remember it's pretty much been demolished and looking a shadow of it's former divine glory. So I'm going to give you the recipe and hopefully remember to take a picture.
Vicki's Creamy Sweet Potato/Butternut Pumpkin/Feta Cheese Bake
I use:
A small carton of pure cream (300ml)
Please use pure cream. Thickened cream is pure cream beaten with a whole lot of additives added to keep it thick. If you ever need thickened cream buy pure cream and beat it for a few minutes. It will taste ever so much more delicious without all the additives and your body will thank you.
A mixture of diced sweet potato and butternut pumpkin
Usually half a butternut pumpkin and a small sweet potato. Or feel free to have all sweet potato or all butternut pumpkin. Use what you personally prefer or have on hand.
A large onion (or couple of smaller onions) sliced180g package Goat's Milk Feta Cheese diced or crumbled
Grated Cheddar Cheese and Parmesan Cheese
Again, use whatever cheese you personally prefer. A note on grated cheddar cheese: it has added flour to keep the pieces separated so be mindful if you are gluten intolerant. If you grate it yourself you know exactly what's in it.
This is what I do:
Preheat the oven to 170 deg C. If it's too hot the cream will separate so don't be tempted to cook it faster at a higher heat.
Grab a casserole dish (preferably one with a lid).
Throw in the diced vegetables, the sliced onion, the feta cheese and mix it around. Get in with your hands. It's great fun.
Pour over the cream.
Sprinkle over the cheeses.
Put the lid on the casserole dish or cover it with foil/whatever heat tolerant cover you have.
Bake for one hour. Take the cover off and bake for another half hour.
Done. Simple. Delicious. Eat it. Thank me later. ;)
A few other combinations you might like to try:
Throw in some diced bacon/prosciutto/ham/salami.
Add some pine nuts.
Basil would go beautifully with this.
Make it a one dish dinner and add some broccoli and diced chicken.
Enjoy and keep cooking!! Pure, simple food as close to natural as possible.
Tuesday, 8 November 2011
Managing Menstruation Mindfully
Menstruation.
Half of the World's population will experience it and yet it is shrouded in shame by many. Viewed as dirty, only discussed in whispered voices with a nod towards the offending area and never in polite company.
Billions of women across the world are menstruating. At an average of 4-5 days 13 times a year for 40 years. That is about 2600 days in a lifetime. 7 whole years.
Menstruation is natural. It's a healthy process of a functioning female body in preparation for childbearing.
What does bother me is how we deal with it and the devastating effect we are having on the environment and our bodies because of the way we choose to deal with it.
"Female Sanitary Products" are, for a start, not sanitary. They are NOT required to be manufactured in a sanitary environment. Whatever contaminants are in the factory are in the products. Bleaching does not sanitise. It only makes the products white thus making them look sanitary. The wrapping they come in is not there to provide a sanitary environment until you open it. It is provided for convenience (so you can pop them in your handbag) and to give the illusion of being sanitised.
Tampons cause Toxic Shock Syndrome. Google it and see exactly how devastating this disease is to the body. It is a large enough threat for each packet of tampons to be required to carry a leaflet telling you that tampons can make you sick.
But aside from the health issues there is also the landfill issue. Each menstrual cycle most women will use 4-5 tampons a day along with a few disposable pads for night use or maybe more as a back up for tampon leakage. Let's assume 2 a day. Given that they will menstruate for about 2600 days in their life that is about 12,000 tampons and 5,000 disposable pads. That is about the equivalent of a whole garbage truck's capacity for every woman who used tampons and disposable pads. And there are billions of women!
What about the cost? In Australia tampons attract a luxury tax. Yep, you read right. A luxury tax. A packet of 16 tampons cost about $5 (31c each). A packet of 14 pads costs about $5 (35c each). So over a lifetime that is $3700 in tampons and $1750 in disposable pads. A total of $5450 per lifetime.
Let me show you some alternatives.
A menstrual cup such as Diva, Lunette or Keeper Cups are made of medical grade silicon. They can remain in place for up to 8 hours. You can wear them overnight. There is zero risk of contracting Toxic Shock Syndrome from them. They are reusable and from first hand reports will last in excess of 10 years. For the initial outlay of around $55. Over 40 years the total cost would be around $250.
If menstrual cups aren't your thing try reusable pads. They come in all different sizes, some really funky patterns and need a simple rinse out, throw into a bucket of water to soak and then in with the normal wash. At around $12 each they will last until they wear out at around 3-5 years. If you have a stash of 8 pads that will work out at about $400 over 40 years.
The big bonus with these is that if you are so inclined you can make your own. There are many free patterns available on the internet along with full instructions from the materials required to how to construct them.
Neither of these products will create any landfill apart from the usually biogradeable packing they arrive in through the post.
Neither of these products will make you sick.
Neither of these products attract a luxury tax.
My personal thoughts and feedback:
The first thing I noticed was that the cloth pads and menstrual cups do NOT smell. So I can only assume that the smell that is normally associated with menstrual flow is caused by the menstrual flow reacting with whatever the disposable pads and tampons are made of or made with.
They are very easy to use.
I love that you can use the menstrual cup overnight.
I have NEVER had leakage from the menstrual cup.
The cloth pads do not irritate genital regions as disposable pads might for some. The cloth is very soft and absorbent.
Cloth pads could very easily be used for bladder leakage.
So before you reach for the next packet of tampons or disposable pads think about the alternatives. Be kind to your body and be kind to the environment. There IS another way.
Half of the World's population will experience it and yet it is shrouded in shame by many. Viewed as dirty, only discussed in whispered voices with a nod towards the offending area and never in polite company.
Billions of women across the world are menstruating. At an average of 4-5 days 13 times a year for 40 years. That is about 2600 days in a lifetime. 7 whole years.
Menstruation is natural. It's a healthy process of a functioning female body in preparation for childbearing.
What does bother me is how we deal with it and the devastating effect we are having on the environment and our bodies because of the way we choose to deal with it.
"Female Sanitary Products" are, for a start, not sanitary. They are NOT required to be manufactured in a sanitary environment. Whatever contaminants are in the factory are in the products. Bleaching does not sanitise. It only makes the products white thus making them look sanitary. The wrapping they come in is not there to provide a sanitary environment until you open it. It is provided for convenience (so you can pop them in your handbag) and to give the illusion of being sanitised.
Tampons cause Toxic Shock Syndrome. Google it and see exactly how devastating this disease is to the body. It is a large enough threat for each packet of tampons to be required to carry a leaflet telling you that tampons can make you sick.
But aside from the health issues there is also the landfill issue. Each menstrual cycle most women will use 4-5 tampons a day along with a few disposable pads for night use or maybe more as a back up for tampon leakage. Let's assume 2 a day. Given that they will menstruate for about 2600 days in their life that is about 12,000 tampons and 5,000 disposable pads. That is about the equivalent of a whole garbage truck's capacity for every woman who used tampons and disposable pads. And there are billions of women!
What about the cost? In Australia tampons attract a luxury tax. Yep, you read right. A luxury tax. A packet of 16 tampons cost about $5 (31c each). A packet of 14 pads costs about $5 (35c each). So over a lifetime that is $3700 in tampons and $1750 in disposable pads. A total of $5450 per lifetime.
Let me show you some alternatives.
A menstrual cup such as Diva, Lunette or Keeper Cups are made of medical grade silicon. They can remain in place for up to 8 hours. You can wear them overnight. There is zero risk of contracting Toxic Shock Syndrome from them. They are reusable and from first hand reports will last in excess of 10 years. For the initial outlay of around $55. Over 40 years the total cost would be around $250.
If menstrual cups aren't your thing try reusable pads. They come in all different sizes, some really funky patterns and need a simple rinse out, throw into a bucket of water to soak and then in with the normal wash. At around $12 each they will last until they wear out at around 3-5 years. If you have a stash of 8 pads that will work out at about $400 over 40 years.
The big bonus with these is that if you are so inclined you can make your own. There are many free patterns available on the internet along with full instructions from the materials required to how to construct them.
Neither of these products will create any landfill apart from the usually biogradeable packing they arrive in through the post.
Neither of these products will make you sick.
Neither of these products attract a luxury tax.
My personal thoughts and feedback:
The first thing I noticed was that the cloth pads and menstrual cups do NOT smell. So I can only assume that the smell that is normally associated with menstrual flow is caused by the menstrual flow reacting with whatever the disposable pads and tampons are made of or made with.
They are very easy to use.
I love that you can use the menstrual cup overnight.
I have NEVER had leakage from the menstrual cup.
The cloth pads do not irritate genital regions as disposable pads might for some. The cloth is very soft and absorbent.
Cloth pads could very easily be used for bladder leakage.
So before you reach for the next packet of tampons or disposable pads think about the alternatives. Be kind to your body and be kind to the environment. There IS another way.
Saturday, 29 October 2011
Little Things Like Making The Bed
Making the bed! This has been pretty much an optional activity for me since I moved out of home. ;) I figure I'm only going to get back into it and I'm not here anyway when I'm working so why bother?
Let me tell you.
I now spend a large majority of my time organising, planning, scheduling and making sure things run smoothly for the entire family. A large chunk of my day is spent at home. It's my office if you will and I am the Brunner Family CEO and one of the four board members. Which gets me to thinking I really need to employ a PA. Preferably one who would work for tea and cupcakes, be on call and work split shifts when necessary.
I'm also a visually creative person. I don't learn well reading a text. The information seeps gently through my visual cortex, into my brain and then evaporates into the mists of time and magic. I'm sure this is what unicorns are made of. I learn best by watching and doing. I'm also at my most peaceful and my energies are most centred when I'm not surrounded by visual clutter. Which is why you won't find an overload of knick knacks and frou frou in my living space. I do love beautiful things just not a lot of them in one space. :)
Our house is designed with the master bedroom at the front of house with a bay window. It opens off the entry directly across from the lounge/dining areas. This means that you can see the bed from the living area and also from the front driveway/path through the windows. (I'm a blinds open kinda girl. I don't like living in a cave. Give me breezes and light.) I discovered one day that every time I saw the messy bed it bothered me. Ever so slightly. But it bothered me.
A month or so back I decided to run an experiment and make the bed every day to see how it made me feel. It made me feel good. I can now see the beautiful black and gold bedspread I bought last year. There aren't any pyjamas strewn around the bed. We are less likely to leave things on the bedroom floor. It makes me feel good. It adds visual beauty to my day. I like it.
So when I'm at home, pottering around the house or I walk in the front door from a busy day out and about it's lovely to stop, look around and see a neat, tidy house. It makes me feel calmer. It doesn't need to be perfect but I've discovered that taking 2 minutes to make the bed makes a positive contribution to my everyday.
Let me tell you.
I now spend a large majority of my time organising, planning, scheduling and making sure things run smoothly for the entire family. A large chunk of my day is spent at home. It's my office if you will and I am the Brunner Family CEO and one of the four board members. Which gets me to thinking I really need to employ a PA. Preferably one who would work for tea and cupcakes, be on call and work split shifts when necessary.
I'm also a visually creative person. I don't learn well reading a text. The information seeps gently through my visual cortex, into my brain and then evaporates into the mists of time and magic. I'm sure this is what unicorns are made of. I learn best by watching and doing. I'm also at my most peaceful and my energies are most centred when I'm not surrounded by visual clutter. Which is why you won't find an overload of knick knacks and frou frou in my living space. I do love beautiful things just not a lot of them in one space. :)
Our house is designed with the master bedroom at the front of house with a bay window. It opens off the entry directly across from the lounge/dining areas. This means that you can see the bed from the living area and also from the front driveway/path through the windows. (I'm a blinds open kinda girl. I don't like living in a cave. Give me breezes and light.) I discovered one day that every time I saw the messy bed it bothered me. Ever so slightly. But it bothered me.
A month or so back I decided to run an experiment and make the bed every day to see how it made me feel. It made me feel good. I can now see the beautiful black and gold bedspread I bought last year. There aren't any pyjamas strewn around the bed. We are less likely to leave things on the bedroom floor. It makes me feel good. It adds visual beauty to my day. I like it.
So when I'm at home, pottering around the house or I walk in the front door from a busy day out and about it's lovely to stop, look around and see a neat, tidy house. It makes me feel calmer. It doesn't need to be perfect but I've discovered that taking 2 minutes to make the bed makes a positive contribution to my everyday.
Wednesday, 21 September 2011
I'm in Love!!!
I've had my eye on this little baby for a while now. Did a bit of research and decided that 1400W of pure, awesome cleaning power was EXACTLY what I needed. Long hose, long wand, enough attachments to keep the boredom of cleaning at bay and light enough to move around without the need to lift weights for five years beforehand. Gerni has a metal motor which means it can be repaired rather than scrapped and is a wholly owned Australian company to boot! Ticks ALL my repurposing/shopping local/sustainability loving boxes.
Last summer it rained. A lot. All the time. As a result the pavers which have the house surrounded are now mostly covered with a dark green coloured mildew/moss/mould/alien growth and are patiently waiting surrender by the inhabitants. (Some may say it's Army Green which would work in perfectly with my theory that the pavers are dressing in army camouflage in order to lay an ambush. This would also explain why the cat has taken to walking across the roof rather than the pavers.)
Now that the dog has moved on to greener pastures and summer is just around the corner I thought I'd spruce up the pavers/general outdoor area in preparation for the bbq/pool party season. So after a morning coffee with Bob & Cynthia I popped into the auto shop on the way home (who would have thought you could buy high pressured cleaning gear in a male dominated domain???) and picked one up. I got a bargain!! Not only was the price reduced to under $200, it came with a handy dandy attachment thingy with a spinning arm designed especially for cleaning pavers. Blow me down! Gerni must have women/men who realise that women use Gerni's/magic, mind-reading elves working in their design department!
So with a spring in my step and high hopes I set off to repel and conquer the invading army. OH MY LORDY!! With a simple wave of the wand the pavers emerged one by one shaking off the shackles of inhibiting mould and emerging fresh and rejuvenated. *Sigh* I love my Gerni.
Thursday, 15 September 2011
Death - The Final Farewell
Death. The culmination of the
cycle of physical life for every living organism on this planet. A natural,
integral part of existence. Yet one of the most difficult to experience and be
at peace with.
I've encountered death over my 45 years in this lifetime. Pets, friends and relatives but I was witness to the actual death process for the very first time a few days past.
4 months ago we adopted The Hubby's Mum's dog. She was moving into a retirement unit and didn't have the capacity to house and care for her large dog anymore. So we offered to care for her beloved Lucy who was becoming quite frail herself at 13 yo. Over the weekend Lucy's health deteriorated dramatically and on Monday the vet visited her and it was decided that Lucy was in a lot of pain, could barely walk anymore and had lived to her fullest potential.
I had decided beforehand that I would sit with Lucy until her very end so that someone she knew cared for her would be with her. The vet was very gentle and kind. He explained exactly what was happening as we went along and suggested gently a few times that he was happy to be with her if I felt I couldn't stay.
I witnessed her last breaths and surrounded her with all the love I could summon. It was one of the most profound and touching moments of my life. It was gentle, peaceful and dignified. A fitting transition for a fine, grand dame who had brought many years of companionship, happiness and love to The Hubby's Mum.
I've encountered death over my 45 years in this lifetime. Pets, friends and relatives but I was witness to the actual death process for the very first time a few days past.
4 months ago we adopted The Hubby's Mum's dog. She was moving into a retirement unit and didn't have the capacity to house and care for her large dog anymore. So we offered to care for her beloved Lucy who was becoming quite frail herself at 13 yo. Over the weekend Lucy's health deteriorated dramatically and on Monday the vet visited her and it was decided that Lucy was in a lot of pain, could barely walk anymore and had lived to her fullest potential.
I had decided beforehand that I would sit with Lucy until her very end so that someone she knew cared for her would be with her. The vet was very gentle and kind. He explained exactly what was happening as we went along and suggested gently a few times that he was happy to be with her if I felt I couldn't stay.
I witnessed her last breaths and surrounded her with all the love I could summon. It was one of the most profound and touching moments of my life. It was gentle, peaceful and dignified. A fitting transition for a fine, grand dame who had brought many years of companionship, happiness and love to The Hubby's Mum.
♥
Dearest
Lucy,
I
know that you are resting and are no longer in pain.
I
know that you have brought love into your carer's lives.
I
know that you are at peace.
I
know that you will be missed.
I
send you love.
I
bid you a Final Farewell.
♥
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