Stuff With Thing

Kinder duty at Heidi’s 3yo class yesterday - was photo day. Lots of fun. Annie befriended another autistic child in the group and spent her time running around with them holding hands and getting the occasional hug. Amazing, it is the most positive interaction I’ve seen from this child … actually it is the most interaction I’ve seen this child have with another person. Don’t know what it is about Annie but she does seem to just know the right approach to take.

Kinder duty today at Annie’s 4yo class, Hubby had the day off so we all went to Kinder. Heidi was screaming by the time we got home, put her in bed with a drink of milk and special blankie and she was asleep within minutes. Way too much stimulation in 4yo class for her.

Kinder duty tomorrow at Annie’s 4yo class again. SIL L is going to take Heidi home with her. Is Annie’s birthday tomorrow. We are making up gift bags to hand out at Kinder - each child will get a notebook, pencil, balloon, bubble mix and sticker sheet - all inside a brown paper lunch bag decorated by Annie. Got everything at the Reject Shop and works out just under $2 for each bag, notebooks were the killer, couldn’t get them under $1 each.

I’m so proud of Annie she asked if it was okay to use her pocket money to buy gifts to hand out to the 4 children in Heidi’s early intervention class tomorrow morning. Awww. We found these cool sensory toys for $2 each and they can go inside a brown paper lunch bag also. Checked with the teacher and she said none of the children in the group should be traumatised by brown paper bags or the toy we chose. Hard to tell when getting stuff for children with sensory issues but Annie wanted to celebrate by giving gifts to everyone.

Heidi keeps walking up to us, holding her blanket out and saying “cuddle me”. What she wants is to be wrapped up in her blanket (sort of like a burkah, with just the eye hole). If you make the mistake of picking Heidi up for a cuddle she says “put down me”. Such cute language mixups.

Annie made everyone mini pizzas for lunch today - I got all the ingredients out on the table in little containers and Annie put the pizzas together. Daddys job was to put them in the oven and get them out. Which would have helped if A) I remember to turn the oven on. B) when I finally did turn it on set it to the correct temperature.

Time to go make pear upside down cake with Annie for desert after her birthday dinner of pancakes. Health eating day for us

Hopefully this blog entry makes sense - I keep re-reading it and seeing words I’ve typed totally wrong. Like when I wrote ‘class’ up above, I actually wrote ‘call’ both times. And other silly mistakes like that. Well it was random thoughts so maybe my head is getting in on the act with random word substitution.

Oh and one final random thought. Tuesday night last night which means our weekly dinner with my father-in-law. He spent much of the time ranting about how our esteemed prime minister Kevin Rudd is going to be the next Hitler. This because Mr Rudds picture is in the newspaper every day. Ummm he is the leader of our country I’d be surprised if he didn’t get mentioned in the papers frequently. Ahh the joys of the generation gap and the political divide meeting over dinner once a week.

This started out as the Smoky Beef Stew from pg 54 of this months “Super Food Ideas” magazine but I didn’t have all the ingredients and as usual I modified the recipe a little.

2 tablespoons plain flour
700g Gravy Beef, trimmed, cut into cubes
Olive Oil
1 Red Onion, cut into 8 pieces
2 teaspoons Ground Garlic
3 large Carrots, peeled and chopped
2 large red Capsicum (Bell Peppers), chopped
1 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
1 teaspoon Hot Chilli Powder
400g can Diced Tomatoes
2 Beef Stock Cubes
2 cups Water
425g can Red Kidney Beans, drained and rinsed

Toss the beef in flour to coat.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large frypan and brown the flour covered pieces of meat.

Transfer to slow cooker / crock pot dish.

Put all the rest of the ingredients into the slow cooker / crock pot dish and cook on low for 4+ hours.

Serve with rice or mashed potato.

The Verdict - too much water, I should have only added 1 cup. Otherwise this is a great dish for those who love it hot.

Made enough for 8 lunches for hubby to take to work this fortnight and he loves it.  I’d say maybe add some sour cream if you prefer a milder flavour.

For more Menu Plan Monday ideas visit Organising Junkie (sorry I just can’t bring myself to spell organising with a Z).

So here we go.

Monday (Ralph cooking) - Pizza

Tuesday (weekly dinner with FIL) - Sausages with Roast Veggies

Wednesday - Left overs

Thursday (Annie’s 5th Birthday) - Pancakes as per birthday girls request

Friday - Pasta Bake

Saturday - Shepherds Pie (using sausages instead of mince)

Sunday - Left overs

Monday (Parent Support Group Meeting) - Devilled Sausages

Tuesday - Spanish Chicken and Rice (SFI pg 29)

Ralphs lunches - Smokey Beef Stew (SFI pg 54) and Curried Sausages - both with brown rice.

Runs for a little over a week as I will hopefully be grocery shopping on the Wednesday providing Hubbys pay actually comes through at some point unlike the last couple of weeks.

Being a stay at home parent is the last thing I ever thought I’d do with my life, I was going to be the working parent, my partner would stay at home and raise the children. I never wanted this but my body said otherwise, so here I am a stay at home parent.

And you know what I hate it. The never endingness, the constant repetition, always the same.

Wash dishes, cook food, do the laundry, pick up toys, kiss ouchies better, change dollys clothes, drink pretend cups of tea, wash dishes, cook food, do the laundry, pick up toys, make with playdough, clean up, wash dishes, cook food, do the laundry.

I search for the joy in the small moments, hold onto the little bits of happiness in each day because if I looked at the big picture I’d go stark raving mad.

I don’t mind doing housework, I rather enjoy the feeling of seeing a sparkly clean kitchen, a basket of freshly laundered washing being put away. But then it starts again, it just never ends, that kitchen doesn’t stay clean, those clothes get worn, the bed gets thrown up on, the pee doesn’t quite get into the toilet, there is mustard on the wall in the bathroom.

Somewhere in hell there is a punishment room which involves never endingness, doing the same job over and over again. Thinking you have finally finished, succeeded in conquering the mountain only to turn around and see it snuck up behind you ready to be done all over again.

Somedays it is harder than others to find those little moments of joy, to not let the big picture suffocate me.

GAP (General All-Purpose) Verbs

This is the next step for Heidi.

Most commonly used verbs for children aged between 3-4

1. want
2. go
3. do
4. look
5. got-have
6. open
7. play
8. That’s a
9. work
10. come
11. get
12. need
13. see
14. put
15. make

Listed in order of acquisition

nb - a child might develop the use of one and the loose use of another especially with like, need, want.

This week we have been focusing on ‘make’ using Play-doh and cooking. Mostly I cut out a shape with a cookie cutter and say “Mummy make (whatever shape it is)” and then “Heidi’s turn, Heidi make (whatever shape it is)“.

Added benefit - practicing turn taking.

Later developing verbs

• hold
• give
• lose
• find
• build
• cook
• drink
• eat

We’ve been practicing ‘find’ using the Animalia book by Graeme Base. That has been much fun.

It is so strange talking to Heidi and teaching her the basics of communication. Annie learnt to talk before she did pretty much anything else, I remember the delight we had in her increasing language skills, the joy of simply talking to Annie and the sillyness when Annie got the idea of ‘word play’.

So many times I feel that I took all that for granted, that evolution of speech and the ability to communicate ideas, non-concrete concepts, feelings and everything else without any work or prompting. It truly is amazing the way language and communication works. To think that only 12 short months ago Heidi could barely communicate - she had words but not the skills to use them in a meaningful manner, eye contact was rare and disscussion did not happen. It is wondrous the change time and a little effort can make.

And I look at Annie talking all the time and think now when do I stop to listen to her, because I spend so much time just trying to teach Heidi the basics of communication that we’ve begun to take Annie’s amazing communicative ability for granted. And yet there is Heidi the perfect example of why we shouldn’t just take Annie and her constant talking for granted.

Smiley Saturday time again. If you want to join in then click on the Smiley Saturday link above and head over to Lightenings to enter your Smiley Saturday link.

I’ve been feeling a little stressed recently and when stressed I bake, it helps relieve the tension from my shoulders and the ache in my head.

So onto the baking

Yummy Zucchini Chocolate Cake

125g Butter
1 cup (packed) Brown Sugar
1/2 cup White Sugar
3 large Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla (I use pure vanilla extract because I’m fussy like that)
1/2 cup Yogurt (any type)
2 1/2 cups Plain Flour
3 cups (350g) grated Zucchini
1/4 cup Cocoa
2 tsp Baking Soda
2 tsp Cinnamon or Mixed Spice
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 cup Chocolate Chips

Heat oven to 170oC. Line bottom and sides of a 25cm square pan with two crosswise strips of baking paper (or butter and flour the old fashioned way).

Beat softened butter with sugars in a mixer or food processor until light and creamy. Mix in eggs, vanilla, yoghurt and 1/2 cup of the measured flour, then mix in grated zucchini. Sift in remaining flour and the next 4 ingredients. Stir gently, then pour into the pan. Sprinkle with chocolate chips.

Bake for 45 minutes, or until centre feels firm and a skewer comes out clean. Cool on rack. Refrigerate, or freeze wrap pieces.

Source: “School Lunches and After School Snacks” by Alison and Simon Holst

The verdict - hubby and I hated this, my girls on the other hand loved it and wanted, more, more, more.

I’m in two minds about making it again because I really didn’t like it,

but the good thing about not liking it is the children get it all to themselves.

Next time I might try Kate’s Zucchini Chocolate Bread instead.

Simon’s Spiced Fruity Muffins

1 cup of Wholemeal Flour
1 cup of Plain Flour
4 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 cup Sugar
1/2 tsp Salt
2 tsp Cinnamon2 large Eggs
1/2 cup Canola Oil
2 x 140g pots fruit in juice
1/2 cup raisins or sultanas
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Heat oven to 200oC.

In a large bowl, mix the first six ingredients. In another bowl, beat eggs with a fork. Add oil and fruit (with juice). Fold into dry ingredients with the dried fruit and walnuts, until just dampened.

Spoon into 24 mini-muffin pans or 12 medium muffin pans. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

Source: “School Lunches and After School Snacks” by Alison and Simon Holst

The Verdict - Everyone loved these and they freeze and reheat really well. I froze them two muffins to a ziploc bag and was able to pull them out and reheat as special treats for the girls. We made them without the walnuts due to nut allergies. I also measured out the fruit in juice from a large 1kg pot I had (cheaper that way). Have made these again a couple of times.

And Note Simon’s Spiced Fruit Muffins - DIARY FREE - Woo!

Pineapple Carrot Cake

1 cup Wholemeal Flour
1 cup Plain Flour
1 cup Sugar
2 tsp Cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Salt
1/2 cup chopped Walnuts
2 cups (250g) grated Carrot
3 large Eggs
1 cup Canola Oil
1 tsp Vanilla (extract please)
225g can Crushed Pineapple

Heat oven to 160oC.

In a large bowl, mix the first eight ingredients. In another bowl, beat the eggs, oil, vanilla and pineapple (including liquid) with a fork. Stir both mixtures together, mixing until just combined.

Pour into a 23cm square baking pan lined with 2 strips of baking paper (or buttered and floured the old fashioned way). Bake for about 45 minutes until the centre feels firm and a skewer comes out clean.

Leave for 5-10 minutes before turning out.

Source: “School Lunches and After School Snacks” by Alison and Simon Holst

The Verdict - Hubby loves this! Woo and it is almost healthy :grin:. Once again I made this one without the walnuts and it works perfectly well. There is an optional cream cheese icing but as I cut up the pieces and freeze them I skipped the icing and really it doesn’t need it. Lovely and moist and too yummy for words. The hard part is not eating it all in one go and resisting temptation whilst slicing and wrapping and freezing.

And Note Pineapple Carrot Cake - DAIRY FREE - Double Woo!

There you go. My Smiley Saturday is food filled. I did heaps more baking - dairy free vanilla cake for Annies birthday cake, the pink cake as seen at Lightenings Blog, some easy cheesy muffins, Anzac biscuits and lots lots more but I think 3 recipes is enough for one blog post. Now to go find where my recipe master list disappeared to in the great blogger to wordpress move.

Hope your Saturday is Smiley too.

Lightening asked in the comments on my last post about the recipe for my Anzac slice.

It has been a while since I last posted this, so drum roll please…..

Here in all its glory is my Anzac slice recipe.

1 Cup Rolled Oats
1 Cup Plain Flour
1 Cup Brown Sugar, firmly packed
½ Cup Dessicated Coconut
125g Butter
2 Tablespoons Golden Syrup
1 Tablespoon Water
½ Teaspoon Bicarbonate of Soda

1. Combine oats, sifted flour, sugar and coconut in large bowl. Combine butter, golden syrup and water in small saucepan, stir constantly over medium heat until butter is melted; stir in soda (or combine butter, golden syrup and water in microwave-proof jug, cook on HIGH for about 1 minute or until butter is melted). Stir in soda. Stir mixture into dry ingredients.

2. Place rounded teaspoons of mixture 5cm apart onto lightly greased oven trays; bake in moderately slow oven for about 20 minutes or until biscuits feel slightly firm. Use spatula to loosen biscuits on trays, cool on trays.

Makes about 25. Biscuits will keep in airtight containers for at least a week or freeze for 2 months.

I usually make a double mix of the ingredients, then instead of making individual biscuits I put the mixture into a slice tray and cook in the oven for 30 minutes on 180 degrees Celsius. Once the slice has cooled slightly I cut into squares. It comes out a bit softer and chewier this way.

Notes - I think mum got the original recipe from a Womens Weekly cookbook. Being a busy full time working mum she adapted the recipe from biscuits to a slice which saves time in the kitchen.

I’d love to hear of any other variations on the traditional Anzac biscuit.

What is ANZAC Day?

ANZAC Day – 25 April – is probably Australia’s most important national occasion. It marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War. ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. The soldiers in those forces quickly became known as ANZACs, and the pride they soon took in that name endures to this day.

Why is this day special to Australians?

When war broke out in 1914 Australia had been a federal commonwealth for only 14 years. The new national government was eager to establish its reputation among the nations of the world. In 1915 Australian and New Zealand soldiers formed part of the allied expedition that set out to capture the Gallipoli peninsula to open the way to the Black Sea for the allied navies. The plan was to capture Constantinople (now Istanbul), the capital of the Ottoman Empire and an ally of Germany. They landed at Gallipoli on 25 April, meeting fierce resistance from the Turkish defenders. What had been planned as a bold stroke to knock Turkey out of the war quickly became a stalemate, and the campaign dragged on for eight months. At the end of 1915 the allied forces were evacuated after both sides had suffered heavy casualties and endured great hardships. Over 8,000 Australian soldiers were killed. News of the landing at Gallipoli made a profound impact on Australians at home and 25 April quickly became the day on which Australians remembered the sacrifice of those who had died in war.

Although the Gallipoli campaign failed in its military objectives of capturing Constantinople and knocking Turkey out of the war, the Australian and New Zealand actions during the campaign bequeathed an intangible but powerful legacy. The creation of what became known as the “ANZAC legend” became an important part of the national identity of both nations. This shaped the ways they viewed both their past and future.

http://www.awm.gov.au/commemoration/anzac/anzac_tradition.htm

Heidi cried and screamed for a couple of hours yesterday morning, I’ve developed a real knack for blocking the noise now. Every so often she’d peek out of her blanket at me to see if I was paying attention.

If the screaming ceased for a bit I’d go over give her a cuddle and suggest reading a story or playing with playdough - trying to reward the good. We’d play / read for maybe 10 minutes before she’d start up again.

After a couple of hours she fell asleep -

I left her cocooned in her blankie on the kitchen floor because

A) if I remove blankie she would wake up.

B) she wet her bed that night and the bedroom and mattress were airing out.

C) when she wet her bed that blankie got soaked and at least I knew I would be able to clean the kitchen floor fairly easily later.

So yep my daughter was sound asleep on the kitchen floor in a soaking wet pee covered very stinky blankie.

And we were happy about that.

3 hours later she woke up with a high fever and vomiting. Not sure if that was induced by the meltdown or the meltdown was caused by feeling unwell.

She threw up on both her special blankies so there was the whole drama of washing them again.

Speaking of which I finished Heidi’s feelings book homework for Kinder last Friday. Am very proud of the end result.

We did “Happy” and “Sad”. I drew your basic happy face on the happy page and sad face on the sad page. Heidi is familiar with those and often asks me to draw them so that was a good start.

Then I cut out faces from some junk mail of ‘happy’ people. Had to go out and purchase a Womens Day magazine to get pictures of ’sad’ people to cut out - realised later my local doctors surgery probably would have been happy to donate one of their circa 1980s Womens Day magazines from the waiting room.

Once I had my happy and sad pictures I got out the sticky tape and put two pictures out at a time. I’d say to Heidi

“Heidi choose Happy face”

and if she got the correct one she’d get to stick it in the book as a reward. We randomly alternated between her choosing happy and sad faces and she got most of them correct the first time. I was very pleased. When she did make a mistake I’d just say “Try again”.

Then I printed out from the computer the PECS images for ‘happy’ and ’sad’, I also printed out a PECS image of ‘hug’ and ‘broken’. Couldn’t find one for a washing machine that looked like ours so google images to the rescue and we had ‘washing machine’, also googled ‘watermelon’. Then I printed pictures of Heidi “sad” and Heidi “happy”.

Except after all that I realised that the kid grinning like crazy in the happy picture is Annie - somedays my girls look far too alike, especially in black and white. But Heidi at least was in the picture so it was okay.

Then Heidi and I sat down and we talked about the pictures - first the two photographs I’d printed out.
“Is Heidi happy or sad?” didn’t work. So try again Mummy. “Heidi happy or Heidi sad” - which did work and she correctly identified happy and sad Heidi - and started to cry about sad Heidi picture. :rolleyes:

Then it was onto the PECS images.

‘Happy’ and ‘Sad’ got correctly identified and stuck on their pages.

It was a bit harder with the concepts. I talked about each picture and we were making no progress.

We had to identify if these were happy or sad

‘watermelon’
‘hug’
‘broken’
‘washing machine’

The breakthrough came when I got to ‘washing machine’ - “blankie in washing machine, Heidi happy or Heidi sad” says I.

“Heidi sad” - tears and wails and Heidi makes a quick bolt to the laundry (while carrying blankie) to check if blankie was in the washing and I try very hard not to fall over laughing.

Then I gave her a big hug and said “hugs happy” and Heidi agreed “hugs happy” so we went back and stuck ‘hug’ on the happy page and ‘washing machine’ on the sad page and I cheated and did the other two myself while telling her why. “Heidi like watermelon, watermelon ‘happy’”. “Heidi broke puzzle, make Heidi ’sad’”.

Handed it in to the teacher a little worried because we’d not done exactly as asked and only two of the four feelings. But she seemed very happy and showed it to other parents as an example of how they could do their childs book. Woo!

Around 9.30am this morning I hit the wall. Realised I’ve been running at 110% for almost a week now with no down time or breaks. Heidi has made it very clear she needs a day off and stupidly I was so focused on my to-do lists and stuff that I ignored all the signals both Heidi and my body were giving me.

The to-do list is now put away, we are chilling out having a day of rest.

Here is Baby Alives party clothes, inside and out. A very cute two piece “Strawberry Shortcake” skirt and top with matching pink shoes. I’m still blown away by the quality of the stitching, these outfits should last through both my girls playing with them.

Teeny Tiny very cute little shoes

Heidi loves the shoes and her finger people spend a lot of time walking around in them.