Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Monday, December 17, 2007

Pat yourselves on the back and carry on consuming

On-line carbon counters appeal to me in the same way that calorie counters do... provoking guilty fascination and a persistent nagging knowledge that I really ought to do something about my consumption. So when I read this, I thought I might check out how to "learn about ways to reduce emissions, and contribute to one of the least addressed and most important ways to combat climate change -- protecting existing tropical forests" here. It turns out that you can "offset your own emissions" by donating money to help save rainforests in South America. I can't deny it's a worthy cause, but the implications make me feel kind of sick (so maybe I'll just fly to Bali to meet all my mates for a chat about how people with less money than us could reduce their emissions).

I don't yike being grizzled at...

Recently J's grizzling, whinging and constant demands have reached a point where I have started to grizzle and whinge and demand back. I know this is not good parenting. The situation has been escalating. It sucks!

At 5:30AM I used a line that I think came almost verbatim from a Diane Levy book... very calmly and seriously... "Okay, because you've got a nasty cough, I'll get you some milk now even though we don't usually have milk in the night (well, not that bit), but from the morning I will not respond to any requests unless you ask nicely in a reasonable tone of voice." After I delivered the milk I also added, "and even if you ask properly I might still say no," (just to cover my butt, like). I have tried this approach before. It didn't work.

This morning, unstead of howling "Mummy mummy, I want you, Mummy I want you now" on high volume repeat from the bedroom, a rather bemused looking J staggered out to the kitchen and even attempted a smile. I said "Would you like me to put the milk on your ricies now?" J said "Yes please" and wandered off to my room where he likes to eat breakfast. We didn't have an "I want" or "I don't want" until I was buckling him into the car seat (20 minutes late as usual).

"I want something to eat" he whined.

"Remember, today I'm only responding if you ask me nicely" I replied (smile slipping off into a parallel universe).

"Could I please have a snack."

"Okay" I raced back into the house and hurriedly washed a small handful of blueberries (J's absolute favourite food) and dumped them into a bowl.

Back at the car... "I didn't want that, I don't yike those."

"Okay," taking the bowl away and starting the car.

"Noooooooo", howled J, then paused... "Could I please have my blueberries?"

How come it worked today? Can I keep it up? Tune in for the next thrilling episode of stressed suburban single Mums on caffeine.

And for the record, T, who is a happy baby, whooped and hooted all the way to Turitea...

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

"We dont eat whales..."

"... 'cos they are very 'spensive, eh Mummy"

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Dr Bunny sounds funny...

The under-twos are practicing for the Christmas party at the moment, and I'm often feeding T at creche at mat-time, and songs tend to stick in my head, so I go back to the lab singing a jolly jingle...

"Mrs Bunny looks funny when she twitches her nose,
Mrs Bunny looks funny when she wriggles her toes,
She's got two floppy ears and two big feet,
I love Mrs Bunny 'cos she's so neat.

Mrs Bunny stretches.
Mrs Bunny flops.
Mrs Bunny hops and hops and hops and
Mrs Bunny hops and stops"