Twittering in the park

I'm not taking about the birds twittering, but rather one of the playschool presenters. The program Playschool is aimed at pre-preps, so mainly 4-year-olds. I wonder how many 4-year olds actually know what twitter is. My guess is that most of the children watching had no idea what he was pretending to do, I know my 6-year old was clueless (who was only watching with his younger brother because of the school holidays). Scenario went something like this; Presenter got an sms on his cardboard pretend-cellphone about meeting the other presenter in the park. He goes to the pretend park, she's not there yet and he says: "what can I do while waiting for [other presenter]? Oh, I know, I can twitter about my day in the park, everyone is always interested in my twitter", at which time he starts pretend-writing about his planned day in the park. Hmm... I can think of other things one can do while waiting around in a park, PLAY quickly comes to mind... considering the age of the ones hearing the question.

You don't know squat!

The title is shamelessly stolen from the blog my an amazing lady called Katy. It's a bit crazy, but I'm actually really really excited about her work! Its' never really sat well with me the whole importance put on pelvic floor exercises. Firstly I could never really find the 'trigger-action' to get me started... when going through a door, when driving, when feeding baby, when boiling the kettle. And then doing the whole elevator trip... first floor... squeeze.... second floor....squeeze.... third floor... squeeze and hold....hold.... I can think of so many nicer things to do. Squatting on the other hand, now at least that is tangible, measurably, and it can be done while doing other things, picking up the toys....again... from the floor, sorting the kitchen bottom cupboards, wiping up my sons poor-aim disaster, OK, so maybe the imaginary elevator trip would be better than that. The point is that someone has finally given a reasonable and proven reason why those pelvic floor exercises are not only quite useless, but can be detrimental for your pelvic floor health unless done in conjunction with other exercises that also LENGTHENS those muscles, and there is the punch line: queezing those muscles will only serve to shorten them, not make them stronger. In order to get stronger muscles they need to be stretched as well, hence the squatting. And to do it really well, relax those muscles when squatting, i.e. have a wee in the shower... I just love the fact that she gives us all permission to 'have a squat' while rinsing off... :) Her blog is well worth a read: http://www.katysays.com/2010/06/02/you-dont-know-squat/

Finding 'quiet'

Today, April 28, is International Noise Awareness Day. Did you know that certain rattles, squeaky toys, toy telephones, and musical toys measure over 110 decibels (comparable to power tools), and that health experts agree that continuous exposure to noise over 85 decibels (about the loudness level of city traffic), over time, will eventually harm hearing in children? Admittedly, that is probably also the level of noise MADE by the children in my household, especially in the late afternoon, and of course I then have to top that, in order to get my message heard... One of the homework items for my 6-year-old this week is finding a quiet place to relax his whole body for a while. Maybe this should be part of our, i.e. parents, homework every day, finding that quiet time and place for our children. That same boy used to like laying down on the floor with me during my last pregnancy doing progressive relaxation. We already know that the level of stress-hormones and the heart-beat goes down when we practise variations of meditation, slow breathing and relaxation. Today I will do my best to find 'quiet' for myself and my children, even if only for ten minutes, it might just do us some good.

Earth Day - the good, the bad and the ugly

Earth Day was yesterday, April 22, and what did I do? Save the world? Not exactly. I did take the kids for a walk in the great outdoors in the afternoon (because it was part of my oldest sons homework...), on the way back I picked up some beer-cans and threw in the recycling bin (normally I don't because I don't want the kids to copy - there are the occasional used syringe in the same area - and I'm a paranoid mother!). And the right out ugly: I drove to a friends place in my big diesel-hungry four-wheel-drive (good for the soul!). Most importantly though: I talked to my kids! My oldest suggested we could water all the plants we find, and also said that bad people were the ones who let gas-filled ballons go, on purpose! Regarding the latter, I had to correct him; a lot of nice people let ballons go to, because they don't know better... when we know better, we do better. Enjoy your children and their wonderful logic!

Oxitocin - my drug of choice

I know now why my baby and I are happily waking up several times a night for a feed. Oxitocin is released in enormous amounts right after a natural birth, making falling in love with your baby possible. More oxitocin is released every time you feed your baby too, both in mother and baby. Oxitocin attaches to the same feel-good places in the brain as cannabis, it gives you a natural high. So to people who feel sorry for me for still having to wake up to feed my almost one-year old: Get off my back, I'm simply feeding my addiction!

Thanks for a wonderful conference weekend, especially Sue Cox's talk and workshop was memorable.

Fordicia-day and first blog

I thought it was about time I got on this wagon as well. I had a go at blogging a few years ago, without success. This time will be different!
It was fordicia-day today, April 15, and I had invited a bunch of kids over to do their bit for the environment by decorating beautiful calico bags to use instead of plastic shopping bags. When I asked them what happened to many of the plastic bags, they were quick to tell me about bags ending up in the sea, and animals mistaking them for food, and eating them, and consequently getting sick or dying. That made a biologist and conservationist very pleased indead. There is hope for this world!
I also officially unveiled the 'Villa fordicia" sign that my father-in-law made, and celebrated that at least the outside of this beautiful cabin 'down the back' is done.
Oh, and I also made a fordicia facebook page, thought I might as well do it all in one go... but no twitter yet, I think I've done quite well though, keeping up with the times... :)