I love riding Melbourne’s Trams. It is just so convenient. Ok, it is not as cool as driving one’s personal wheels from point A to point B but I am just a nanny and do not need to constantly prove anything at my age. I am happy to continue using the trams or catch bus #11.
There used to be conductors on each tram. Their job was to sell tickets, give basic directions and to check passengers’ tickets. Hardworking conductors used to remind overexcited passengers to let people off the tram first before boarding. Those days are now history. We are now in the 21st century. We have been without conductors for yonks now. I am not complaining. I can live without them as long as I can buy a proper ticket from the machine when I need to. This is not applicable to many other public transport users. In an increasingly human eats human world, without ‘authority figures’ around to manage the masses, many never learn or pretend to not have heard of what is appropriate and more and more are returning to bad habits. It is sad to see that many of us humans are only capable of what is appropriate when there are ‘authority figures’ around. I thought we were all capable of logical thinking or are we just lazy, opportunistic and selfish? We humans are one of the 5 great apes in this world. We see ourselves as very different from the other four great apes. We pride ourselves for being able to think and invent. We look at the world and admit that the Bonobos, the Chimps, the Orang-Utans and the Gorillas, can never achieve our intelligence. And yet, we almost immediately behaved like uncivilized beings ever since the conductors were sacked for the sake of progress all those years ago.
Tip #1: When boarding a tram, look to see if they are passengers getting off. Let them off first before boarding.
· Trust me; the tram is unlikely to leave if there are passengers waiting to get on, unless it is already jam-packed or it is already about to move on when you reach the door.
· For those asking, “What’s in it for me if I do what you suggest?” Think! If those passengers are getting off then there will be more space for you when it is your turn to hop on. You are less likely to bump onto people that you are likely to deem as uncool or germy. Pure logic!
· So if you are anywhere near the door when the tram arrives, step to either side of the door and wait for the passengers to hop off. Avoid standing in the middle of the entrance and this is applicable also to those who are a delicate size 0.
To all readers who catch Melbourne trams, let’s give this idea another go. This used to be the way. It is lo-tech but if you have a hi-tech idea to solve this problem, do share it. There probably is a gadget (requiring batteries) on a drawing board somewhere that may ‘encourage’ people to get on and off the tram in a civilized manner.
Wednesday, 31 October 2007
Monday, 29 October 2007
Someone Is Reading This Blog!
On the right side of my blog is a Clustrmap that shows me the locations of the people who are reading my blog. It always cheers me up when I see a new dot appear on the map. There is also another counter under that showing me the number of people who have been visiting me. I look forward to seeing the score going up and up. If I am not wrong, my current average is around 20-25 visitors per day.
On the weekend, a nice lady read my blog and left me two comments. Finally, someone did not only read my blog but came back to read again and she actually bothered to leave me a comment twice! I was over the moon. I started this blog around June this year. I waited and waited to see if anyone that I didn’t know would respond to what I had written. After nearly 5 months of blogging, I thought that my entries were probably too boring for anyone to want to read them. Then this lady came along and commented twice!
I was so happy today that I couldn’t help but to tell the soon to be 2 year old Bree. Okay, she is too young to know what a blog is. So, I got down to her level. I told her that I wrote some stories and someone liked them. I didn’t think she understood what I said but she was listening and watching attentively while munching on her vegemite sandwich. After finishing her cherry tomatoes, Bree said, “@#*-@#* is happy.” She may not understand what I told her but it was clear that my happiness was written all over my face!
From just two comments, I am encouraged to keep blogging. I am entertaining the idea of focusing more on my charges’ progress. There are a couple of categories that I do not feel entirely comfortable with and am thinking of altering or deleting them. I will put more thought into revamping this blog after submitting my next assignment (due at the end of next week). Since I have no units to study in the next study period plus my annual holidays, I will have plenty of time for some blog improvement.
On the weekend, a nice lady read my blog and left me two comments. Finally, someone did not only read my blog but came back to read again and she actually bothered to leave me a comment twice! I was over the moon. I started this blog around June this year. I waited and waited to see if anyone that I didn’t know would respond to what I had written. After nearly 5 months of blogging, I thought that my entries were probably too boring for anyone to want to read them. Then this lady came along and commented twice!
I was so happy today that I couldn’t help but to tell the soon to be 2 year old Bree. Okay, she is too young to know what a blog is. So, I got down to her level. I told her that I wrote some stories and someone liked them. I didn’t think she understood what I said but she was listening and watching attentively while munching on her vegemite sandwich. After finishing her cherry tomatoes, Bree said, “@#*-@#* is happy.” She may not understand what I told her but it was clear that my happiness was written all over my face!
From just two comments, I am encouraged to keep blogging. I am entertaining the idea of focusing more on my charges’ progress. There are a couple of categories that I do not feel entirely comfortable with and am thinking of altering or deleting them. I will put more thought into revamping this blog after submitting my next assignment (due at the end of next week). Since I have no units to study in the next study period plus my annual holidays, I will have plenty of time for some blog improvement.
Sunday, 28 October 2007
Reintroducing The Big Tricycle
Bree definitely had a growth spurt. The pants her mum bought her at the start of Winter are now a tad too short. Some of them looked more like cropped pants. Some probably shrunk because they were quite a bit shorter on her than the branded ones. This nanny is guilty of telling Bree’s mum to buy cheaper clothes to wear at home. The cropped length is actually quite versatile for Melbourne’s Spring. And since they still fit around her tummy, her mum is not in a hurry to get her new clothes. She is hoping that Bree will make full use of what she has until her second birthday in November. Bree’s birthday will be a big bash. I was shown the shopping list and Bree will be completely spoilt.
After removing the highchair and then reintroducing the Tripp Trapp chair, Bree’s dad decided to reintroduce the tricycle as well. We thought that it might still be too big but to our surprise, Bree can pretty much pedal it now. She is still not able to rest her feet completely flat on the ground when sitting on the saddle, even though it has been adjusted to the lowest height. Her feet can reach the pedals but she has to stretch out when pedaling. It is also obvious that she needs more practice pedaling because she still doesn’t quite get the need to pedal continuously to continue moving. Her movement was quite rigid at times. Bree’s father doesn’t want her to ride outdoors until after she has learned to pedal quite well indoors. He took away the adult’s push bar saying that he will reattach it when she starts to ride outdoors. He told me that he doesn’t want Bree to get used to being pushed because that is no different to being pushed in the Mountain Buggy. He told me about this baby he sees at the village who is about one year old. The baby gets strapped into this tricycle, legs dangling down the sides while his mum or dad pushes him around. He said that’s pointless and I agreed. Bree and I have seen that baby he was talking about. She actually greeted him once and his mum let her ring the bell on his trike. Parents can be really blinded by the excitement of bringing up a little ‘mini me’. Sometimes they just can’t see that a certain activity is not age appropriate and get totally sucked in by manufacturers.
It turned out that Ettie bought the wrong tricycle. She got the right brand (chosen by Bree’s dad) but the wrong size. Bree’s dad was tempted to get a smaller tricycle but put it off knowing that this one will last longer and another extra tricycle will only take up even more space. I am pretty sure that Bree will be pedaling like a professional by Christmas time. I hope they remember to add a helmet to her long list of birthday presents.
After removing the highchair and then reintroducing the Tripp Trapp chair, Bree’s dad decided to reintroduce the tricycle as well. We thought that it might still be too big but to our surprise, Bree can pretty much pedal it now. She is still not able to rest her feet completely flat on the ground when sitting on the saddle, even though it has been adjusted to the lowest height. Her feet can reach the pedals but she has to stretch out when pedaling. It is also obvious that she needs more practice pedaling because she still doesn’t quite get the need to pedal continuously to continue moving. Her movement was quite rigid at times. Bree’s father doesn’t want her to ride outdoors until after she has learned to pedal quite well indoors. He took away the adult’s push bar saying that he will reattach it when she starts to ride outdoors. He told me that he doesn’t want Bree to get used to being pushed because that is no different to being pushed in the Mountain Buggy. He told me about this baby he sees at the village who is about one year old. The baby gets strapped into this tricycle, legs dangling down the sides while his mum or dad pushes him around. He said that’s pointless and I agreed. Bree and I have seen that baby he was talking about. She actually greeted him once and his mum let her ring the bell on his trike. Parents can be really blinded by the excitement of bringing up a little ‘mini me’. Sometimes they just can’t see that a certain activity is not age appropriate and get totally sucked in by manufacturers.
It turned out that Ettie bought the wrong tricycle. She got the right brand (chosen by Bree’s dad) but the wrong size. Bree’s dad was tempted to get a smaller tricycle but put it off knowing that this one will last longer and another extra tricycle will only take up even more space. I am pretty sure that Bree will be pedaling like a professional by Christmas time. I hope they remember to add a helmet to her long list of birthday presents.
Saturday, 27 October 2007
Napping Everywhere
I am going to a baby shower next weekend. My friend Bonnie is about to have a baby. I have been told that she is due sometime towards the end of November. We have been warned (jokingly) not to make her laugh too much on the day for fear that her baby might want to join in the celebrations too.
Bonnie showed me the two sheepskins and a crib-size mattress she bought a couple of weeks ago. Although they have bought a cot, Bonnie would like to try practising what our friend in Japan did. Our friend used to live in a cramped apartment when their little boy was born. As described earlier in another post, they sleep on traditional Japanese futons that are stored away during the day. Their little boy sleeps that way too. Our friend used to leave his futon or mattress out in the day so he could sleep when he wished to. The family then moved to a 2 storey small house and the little tot acquired his first bedroom. Our friend continued to place a small futon downstairs in the living area to save them from climbing up the steep stairs each afternoon. When not in use, the futon was folded and kept in the cupboard under the stairs. Our friend wanted to maintain a close bond with her son. She felt that he was content as a baby because he was placed close to everyone in the house. From where the baby laid, he was able to observe all the action going on in the room. When he started to be more mobile, he also began to exhibit independence by settling himself. Our friend would continue with her chores while he napped nearby.
Bonnie is planning to do the same. She too would like to have a closer bond to her baby. She plans for her baby to nap nearby in the day and uses the cot only at night. Along with the investment of a brand new Mountain Buggy, she also bought a matching carry cot. She is planning to use the carry cot for her baby’s day naps in the first few weeks before gradually easing the growing baby to either the sheepskin or crib mattress. She has already made a few covers for the crib mattress. She too thinks that her baby will benefit from napping where everyone will be. She doesn’t think that her baby will be bothered by everyday sounds within a family home.
I am one of those who subscribes to the idea that a baby must sleep in peace, tucked away in his or her cot, in a bedroom far away from the rest of the family. I prefer baby rooms that are situated further away from the rooms where the rest of us congregate. This means that I have to rely on baby monitors especially if the baby has a sibling or more under my care because I can’t just check on the baby quietly without someone following me from behind and makes sudden loud noises. (LOL) I truly believe that a baby is less fussy if he or she has a good rest. Sleep is essential to give the body a chance to rest. It is also during sleep that the baby’s mind works to process all of the experiences the baby has had when he was awake.
I actually quite like the idea of having a baby nap nearby like what my friend did in Japan and what Bonnie is intending to do. I see the need to develop a close bond and how this type of sleeping arrangement might further enhance that. I also see how it will allow the child more freedom of movement without being trapped behind bars. However, I find it hard to leave a child sleeping on the floor, separated only by a thin mattress or sheepskin. I can see myself giving it a go when I visit Japan but I can’t see myself sleeping like that permanently. I am just not sure about sleeping so close to surfaces like carpets. I guess I am bothered by the close proximity to dust and everyday dirt. It doesn’t matter if the ground covers are floorboards, carpets or tatami mats, they must be kept meticulously clean if anyone is going to nap on it. This is less of a problem if a baby is sleeping in a cage, aka a cot that is usually raised above the grounds. I think my repulsion from dirt came from witnessing and implementing sleeping arrangements for children in day care centres all those years ago. Children slept on mattresses on the floors in the same room where they had played and eaten earlier. Because the transition process from lunch to nap time is highly hectic, sometimes the floors were not cleaned properly before mattresses were placed according to a set floor plan for the children to nap on. I have seen children napping next to their shoes or next to bits of food from lunch and sand or dirt from outside. Most of these places did not encourage children to wear slippers or socks indoors and the shoes that they arrived in outdoors. As a result, children playing outside before lunch time brought in extra dirt when they came in for lunch. I do not blame the carers for being lazy because the floors were not cleaned properly. There is only so much that two carers can do. Some carers were lucky because their centres hired extra staff for the busy transition period. I must also add that not all centres use only mattresses (with sheets, pillows and small doonas). Some centres use little stretchers.
Back to the idea of napping around the house on sheepskin or crib size mattress, I definitely will not recommend this idea to any families that I work for. As a nanny, I am not confident enough to recommend anything remotely alternative. I would rather stick to what is recommended as common practice in the mainstream. It is always the nanny’s fault if anything goes wrong. It is better to be safe than sorry. As to whether I will implement this technique when I have my own child, I think I will continue to observe Bonnie for now. I may consider it if it works out for her.
Note: Readers who are considering alternative parenting should do further research. Please do not rely on what I have written as gospel.
Bonnie showed me the two sheepskins and a crib-size mattress she bought a couple of weeks ago. Although they have bought a cot, Bonnie would like to try practising what our friend in Japan did. Our friend used to live in a cramped apartment when their little boy was born. As described earlier in another post, they sleep on traditional Japanese futons that are stored away during the day. Their little boy sleeps that way too. Our friend used to leave his futon or mattress out in the day so he could sleep when he wished to. The family then moved to a 2 storey small house and the little tot acquired his first bedroom. Our friend continued to place a small futon downstairs in the living area to save them from climbing up the steep stairs each afternoon. When not in use, the futon was folded and kept in the cupboard under the stairs. Our friend wanted to maintain a close bond with her son. She felt that he was content as a baby because he was placed close to everyone in the house. From where the baby laid, he was able to observe all the action going on in the room. When he started to be more mobile, he also began to exhibit independence by settling himself. Our friend would continue with her chores while he napped nearby.
Bonnie is planning to do the same. She too would like to have a closer bond to her baby. She plans for her baby to nap nearby in the day and uses the cot only at night. Along with the investment of a brand new Mountain Buggy, she also bought a matching carry cot. She is planning to use the carry cot for her baby’s day naps in the first few weeks before gradually easing the growing baby to either the sheepskin or crib mattress. She has already made a few covers for the crib mattress. She too thinks that her baby will benefit from napping where everyone will be. She doesn’t think that her baby will be bothered by everyday sounds within a family home.
I am one of those who subscribes to the idea that a baby must sleep in peace, tucked away in his or her cot, in a bedroom far away from the rest of the family. I prefer baby rooms that are situated further away from the rooms where the rest of us congregate. This means that I have to rely on baby monitors especially if the baby has a sibling or more under my care because I can’t just check on the baby quietly without someone following me from behind and makes sudden loud noises. (LOL) I truly believe that a baby is less fussy if he or she has a good rest. Sleep is essential to give the body a chance to rest. It is also during sleep that the baby’s mind works to process all of the experiences the baby has had when he was awake.
I actually quite like the idea of having a baby nap nearby like what my friend did in Japan and what Bonnie is intending to do. I see the need to develop a close bond and how this type of sleeping arrangement might further enhance that. I also see how it will allow the child more freedom of movement without being trapped behind bars. However, I find it hard to leave a child sleeping on the floor, separated only by a thin mattress or sheepskin. I can see myself giving it a go when I visit Japan but I can’t see myself sleeping like that permanently. I am just not sure about sleeping so close to surfaces like carpets. I guess I am bothered by the close proximity to dust and everyday dirt. It doesn’t matter if the ground covers are floorboards, carpets or tatami mats, they must be kept meticulously clean if anyone is going to nap on it. This is less of a problem if a baby is sleeping in a cage, aka a cot that is usually raised above the grounds. I think my repulsion from dirt came from witnessing and implementing sleeping arrangements for children in day care centres all those years ago. Children slept on mattresses on the floors in the same room where they had played and eaten earlier. Because the transition process from lunch to nap time is highly hectic, sometimes the floors were not cleaned properly before mattresses were placed according to a set floor plan for the children to nap on. I have seen children napping next to their shoes or next to bits of food from lunch and sand or dirt from outside. Most of these places did not encourage children to wear slippers or socks indoors and the shoes that they arrived in outdoors. As a result, children playing outside before lunch time brought in extra dirt when they came in for lunch. I do not blame the carers for being lazy because the floors were not cleaned properly. There is only so much that two carers can do. Some carers were lucky because their centres hired extra staff for the busy transition period. I must also add that not all centres use only mattresses (with sheets, pillows and small doonas). Some centres use little stretchers.
Back to the idea of napping around the house on sheepskin or crib size mattress, I definitely will not recommend this idea to any families that I work for. As a nanny, I am not confident enough to recommend anything remotely alternative. I would rather stick to what is recommended as common practice in the mainstream. It is always the nanny’s fault if anything goes wrong. It is better to be safe than sorry. As to whether I will implement this technique when I have my own child, I think I will continue to observe Bonnie for now. I may consider it if it works out for her.
Note: Readers who are considering alternative parenting should do further research. Please do not rely on what I have written as gospel.
Friday, 26 October 2007
Up To Date Insurance Payments
It is awful to watch the Californian bush fires burning down so many houses. I hope those people can rebuild their lives after the fires stopped. Not only are their priced possessions burnt but if they are like some bush fire victims in the past that weren’t up to date with their home insurance payments, there would be more nasty surprises waiting to haunt them.
Australian bush fires are not really an immediate threat to my apartment but I do make sure the payments for our home insurance and car insurance are up to date. Our car sits in the garage and is hardly used but we still make sure it is insured.
A friend of mine used to own a little Holden Barina. She was driving home after work one day and lost her concentration for a split of a second along the way. She hit two cars but was not hurt. She couldn’t make a claim because her insurance expired. She was under a lot of stress at the time and was making plans to pay for the car insurance the following Thursday (payday). She also found out later that the car was not worth fixing. She didn’t drive a few years after the accident. She was adamant to save every penny to buy a new car without relying on loans.
compare car insurance
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Australian bush fires are not really an immediate threat to my apartment but I do make sure the payments for our home insurance and car insurance are up to date. Our car sits in the garage and is hardly used but we still make sure it is insured.
A friend of mine used to own a little Holden Barina. She was driving home after work one day and lost her concentration for a split of a second along the way. She hit two cars but was not hurt. She couldn’t make a claim because her insurance expired. She was under a lot of stress at the time and was making plans to pay for the car insurance the following Thursday (payday). She also found out later that the car was not worth fixing. She didn’t drive a few years after the accident. She was adamant to save every penny to buy a new car without relying on loans.
compare car insurance
This is a Sponsored Post
Highchair Retirement
Bree is growing up very fast. She no longer needs her highchair. It has been packed away. Her mum is not sure of what to do with the beloved highchair. She seemed to want to keep everything used by her precious little girl. Bree didn’t seem to miss her highchair. To her, she probably thinks that she is ready for the next thing to try.
Replacing the highchair is the Tripp-Trapp chair that has been sitting in the spare room gathering dust. The Tripp-Trapp chair was bought first but Bree’s mum didn’t think that the then 2/3 month old Bree was comfortable sitting in it. So it was prematurely and temporarily retired until now. Bree’s mum loved the old Prima Papa. I love the Prima Papa. Almost every family that I worked for had one. Bree was placed in it long before she started to eat solids. Her mum used to strap her in it while feeding her milk. (As a nanny, I recommend that bottle fed babies be held close to the carer when being fed.) Some people like the idea of their offspring gaining independence ASAP by reducing human contact.
Bree’s dad took away the safety bar on the Tripp-Trapp and adjusted seat height and foot rest so that his little daughter can sit comfortably at the dining table for family meals on the weekend. Bree will be able to get on her seat independently pretty soon. The old highchair can also be adjusted as well but the newer models of this particular highchair have a safety pole at the edge of the seat to prevent a baby from slipping. We all agreed that this particular feature might make it harder for Bree to get on and off by herself. Her clothes might get caught causing her to fall over if she is wearing a dress or a skirt.
Bree does not eat with her parents on most weekdays. (Some children I have looked after in the past hardly ever ate with their parents at all.) On the days that I look after her, she takes her meals at her own little table and chair. Come to think of it, she has not used the old highchair in my presence for quite sometime.
I always have my lunch with her by dragging a dining chair to her table. She enjoys my company. These days, she drags the dining chair across to her little table for me. LOL. Bree’s mum told me that she only started to do the same after seeing what I did. Sharing meals together, especially dinners, is a good time for adults to encourage conversation with the little ones. Sometimes people complain about the lack of verbal input and output from their children but never did they realise the importance of encouraging communication from a young age.
Replacing the highchair is the Tripp-Trapp chair that has been sitting in the spare room gathering dust. The Tripp-Trapp chair was bought first but Bree’s mum didn’t think that the then 2/3 month old Bree was comfortable sitting in it. So it was prematurely and temporarily retired until now. Bree’s mum loved the old Prima Papa. I love the Prima Papa. Almost every family that I worked for had one. Bree was placed in it long before she started to eat solids. Her mum used to strap her in it while feeding her milk. (As a nanny, I recommend that bottle fed babies be held close to the carer when being fed.) Some people like the idea of their offspring gaining independence ASAP by reducing human contact.
Bree’s dad took away the safety bar on the Tripp-Trapp and adjusted seat height and foot rest so that his little daughter can sit comfortably at the dining table for family meals on the weekend. Bree will be able to get on her seat independently pretty soon. The old highchair can also be adjusted as well but the newer models of this particular highchair have a safety pole at the edge of the seat to prevent a baby from slipping. We all agreed that this particular feature might make it harder for Bree to get on and off by herself. Her clothes might get caught causing her to fall over if she is wearing a dress or a skirt.
Bree does not eat with her parents on most weekdays. (Some children I have looked after in the past hardly ever ate with their parents at all.) On the days that I look after her, she takes her meals at her own little table and chair. Come to think of it, she has not used the old highchair in my presence for quite sometime.
I always have my lunch with her by dragging a dining chair to her table. She enjoys my company. These days, she drags the dining chair across to her little table for me. LOL. Bree’s mum told me that she only started to do the same after seeing what I did. Sharing meals together, especially dinners, is a good time for adults to encourage conversation with the little ones. Sometimes people complain about the lack of verbal input and output from their children but never did they realise the importance of encouraging communication from a young age.
Sunday, 21 October 2007
Reject Shop Is Back In The CBD!
Guess what? There is now a Reject Shop in the CBD again! It used to be in the basement, underneath the new Supre store. The old Reject Shop closed quite suddenly when the store above it also closed down to make way for Supre. I mourned the loss of the old Reject Shop. I went to check out David Jones’ Christmas shop today. When I emerged on Bourke St to walk to QV, I walked past the Centrepoint Arcade where Priceline, Rebel Sports, Pumpkin Patch, Adidas and another store specialising in apparel for surfing dudes are. There used to be a Hungry Jacks in the basement along with the popular Pancake Parlour. It was at the entrance of this arcade that I saw the sign for the new Reject Shop. I actually froze for a few seconds staring at the sign. I just couldn’t believe that it is back. When the old one closed down, I assumed that they thought that there weren’t any cheapos like me in the CBD even though the old store always had many customers. Boy am I glad that they are back!
What is so special about Reject Shop? Working as a nanny, I do not make as much money as many other Australians. I love shopping but I have to be thrifty and I have to shop around for bargains. For instance, I love nice wrapping paper and greeting cards produced by companies like Hallmark. Unfortunately, they will add considerably to the cost of any gift if I buy them. So instead of buying cards and wrapping paper with fancy brands, I duck into the Reject Shop to buy budget versions that can be just quite as cute or appealing. Reject Shop has been my source for cards and wrapping paper for years. When the old store closed down, I started to wrapped pressies in basic brown paper. When I checked out the new store on Sunday, the first things I went looking for were the cards and wrapping paper. They were there of course. And just like David Jones, Reject Shop had also brought out all their Christmas stuff. I buy Christmas theme wrapping paper from Reject Shop almost every year. I like the UK-made rolls. Buying longer length rolls not only saves $ but leftovers can be used again for the following Christmas.
I love the new Reject Shop in the city. It is clean. Although it is located just across the street from the old one, it is a better location because there are other stores that I like in the same arcade. I can shop for my toiletries in Priceline, on the first floor and then take the escalators down to the basement to get to the Reject Shop. If I feel like something sweet, I can pop into the Pancake Parlour, located right next door. There used to be 3 Reject Shops in the city, in the 90’s. Today, there is only one. I hope it will be there for a while yet. After the old one closed down, the nearest one to me was the one in Highpoint. Even that was close for a while due to renovations.
What is so special about Reject Shop? Working as a nanny, I do not make as much money as many other Australians. I love shopping but I have to be thrifty and I have to shop around for bargains. For instance, I love nice wrapping paper and greeting cards produced by companies like Hallmark. Unfortunately, they will add considerably to the cost of any gift if I buy them. So instead of buying cards and wrapping paper with fancy brands, I duck into the Reject Shop to buy budget versions that can be just quite as cute or appealing. Reject Shop has been my source for cards and wrapping paper for years. When the old store closed down, I started to wrapped pressies in basic brown paper. When I checked out the new store on Sunday, the first things I went looking for were the cards and wrapping paper. They were there of course. And just like David Jones, Reject Shop had also brought out all their Christmas stuff. I buy Christmas theme wrapping paper from Reject Shop almost every year. I like the UK-made rolls. Buying longer length rolls not only saves $ but leftovers can be used again for the following Christmas.
I love the new Reject Shop in the city. It is clean. Although it is located just across the street from the old one, it is a better location because there are other stores that I like in the same arcade. I can shop for my toiletries in Priceline, on the first floor and then take the escalators down to the basement to get to the Reject Shop. If I feel like something sweet, I can pop into the Pancake Parlour, located right next door. There used to be 3 Reject Shops in the city, in the 90’s. Today, there is only one. I hope it will be there for a while yet. After the old one closed down, the nearest one to me was the one in Highpoint. Even that was close for a while due to renovations.
Saturday, 20 October 2007
Bean Bag Activity @ The Big Park
While surfing the net a few years back, I came across a couple of fun bean bag activity sets made by a famous American company. Knowing that it is likely to cost a fortune to have just them shipped over here, I set out to make a version of my own. (Shipping might have been cheaper if I bought other stuff as well.) It was only after I made the first one that I realised that it was already available here in Australia. It has an Aussie price tag of $49.90. My version was lovingly made by me using washable materials like calico and drill or canvas in primary colours. The whole thing cost me less than $15 to make.
Stella and I took it with us to the big park on Thursday to meet up with Lachlan and his nanny. The children had fun playing with it. They took turns throwing their bean bag, aiming at particular items (numbers, shapes and colours) on the mat. They got bored after a while and went away to play with the playground equipment. After having a drink, they came asking for the bean bag activity again. I had it set up very quickly and this time they attracted the interest of another child. The boy’s mother let him play with Lachlan and Stella. They are all about the same age. The boy’s mum eventually popped the question, asking where she can purchase this toy. Before I opened my mouth, Lachlan’s nanny blurted out that I made it. The boy’s mum looked quite surprised. I then told her that she could buy a similar product from a toy store. She took down the details and then said that she didn’t know how to sew one herself. Another mum with a young toddler also came over to have a look. At this park, people are usually friendly but most mothers and nannies do not mingle. I am just glad that they found what I made interesting.
I wish to take a photo of the mat that I made but it is in the wash. It got trampled all over on Thursday. I think I will post it later. I am also intending to make another mat at the end of the year. The American company which sells this bean bag activity set also sells a second set featuring the alphabet. I think I will make a similar one with an added twist to promote phonemic awareness.
Stella and I took it with us to the big park on Thursday to meet up with Lachlan and his nanny. The children had fun playing with it. They took turns throwing their bean bag, aiming at particular items (numbers, shapes and colours) on the mat. They got bored after a while and went away to play with the playground equipment. After having a drink, they came asking for the bean bag activity again. I had it set up very quickly and this time they attracted the interest of another child. The boy’s mother let him play with Lachlan and Stella. They are all about the same age. The boy’s mum eventually popped the question, asking where she can purchase this toy. Before I opened my mouth, Lachlan’s nanny blurted out that I made it. The boy’s mum looked quite surprised. I then told her that she could buy a similar product from a toy store. She took down the details and then said that she didn’t know how to sew one herself. Another mum with a young toddler also came over to have a look. At this park, people are usually friendly but most mothers and nannies do not mingle. I am just glad that they found what I made interesting.
I wish to take a photo of the mat that I made but it is in the wash. It got trampled all over on Thursday. I think I will post it later. I am also intending to make another mat at the end of the year. The American company which sells this bean bag activity set also sells a second set featuring the alphabet. I think I will make a similar one with an added twist to promote phonemic awareness.
Friday, 12 October 2007
Drama Queen?
Bree has been an easy baby to look after. I really shouldn’t call her a baby anymore. She will turn two soon. Her mum has been reading up on what to expect when Bree becomes a toddler. She talked about her observations of the children of her friends and I can feel that she is bracing herself for the worst. I don’t share the same worries. In fact, I am pretty confident that Bree will not be a difficult toddler. There would have been signs of it by now if she is set to become a little terror. Being the first born/only child, Bree has had less exposure to undesirable behaviours and this may delay the emergence of those horrible tantrums. The intensity also depends on her personality and her relationship with the people close to her, and her immediate environment. So far, she has been a pretty content little person.
Bree’s mum told me about their weekend when I got to work on Monday. They took her to a friend’s birthday party on Saturday. Most of the children who attended the BBQ were under 6. Apparently Bree preferred to play on her own or watch the children from the side. She was very fascinated by the huge assortment of toys at the house. There was another toddler who was about a year older than Bree and she was the kind of toddler that Bree’s mum can’t tolerate. I was told that the toddler didn’t do as she was told and would wail and scream at any little thing that didn’t go her way. Bree’s mum told me that she is reading and learning as quickly as possible about toddlers because she fears that Bree might turn out like that as well. I do not know the other child and it is not fair for me to comment on her behaviours. There could be a number of reasons as to why she carried on the way she did at the party.
Bree’s mum then told me what happened on Sunday. While having a conversation with Bree’s dad, she was also watching Bree playing nearby and observed the following animated episode starring Bree. Not realising that her mum was still watching her, Bree plonked herself down on the floor, kicked her legs about and then whined, “I don’t want to. I don’t want to. No!” Bree’s mum didn’t know what to make of it at first. Bree continued with her performance. She repeatedly said no, trying out different voices. Bree’s dad found this so amusing that he wanted to get his camera. When she turned around and saw both her parents watching her, she stood up smiling and did a little dance before walking to her dad to ask for a cuddle. Bree’s mum instantly thought that her precious little baby had turned into a rebel overnight. She said she searched her head thoroughly because the scene was familiar. Bree’s dad had more sense. He reminded her of the little girl at the party. So, it turned out that Bree was just re-enacting what she saw the day before. That actually made her mum more worried. She told me that Bree could be practising. I can understand why this caring mum is panicking. She is a first time mum and she may be feeling a lack of confidence in handling a kicking and screaming toddler. Many parents fears that they may loose control of their children.
In my opinion, Bree could be practising what she saw. I have seen this happening to another child as well. However, acting out something she saw does not necessary mean that Bree will start applying it in real life. I prefer to continue observing Bree and see that her immediate needs are met. By meeting her needs, showing her ways to communicate her feelings each day and develop skills to become more independent, we can lessen a toddler’s frustration. Being a toddler is a frustrating role. A toddler is not quite a small child, nor is she a baby. She yearns to be a child and yet she needs to be able to return to the safety of being a baby when she needs to. The sense of order is also very acute around this age and any unexpected changes (in the environment or daily routines) can affect the child’s tolerance tremendously. I have been requested to be firm with Bree even though she has not been misbehaving so far. The word ‘firm’ has a different meaning to different people. I certainly do not wish to start punishing the child for minor reasons or introduce a naughty chair/corner. That is just not my style! It is better to encourage the child to experiment and to learn to cooperate through various activities in a safe and secure setting, and to continue demonstrating and modelling appropriate behaviours. I truly believe that the child will reciprocate the same if we treat her with respect and care. This does not mean that I will ignore bad behaviours and let Bree get away with murder. There really is no issue at the moment. With my fingers crossed, I dare to say that not all children go through a stormy toddlerhood. All I want now is to maintain the bond and trust we have developed between us.
Bree’s mum told me about their weekend when I got to work on Monday. They took her to a friend’s birthday party on Saturday. Most of the children who attended the BBQ were under 6. Apparently Bree preferred to play on her own or watch the children from the side. She was very fascinated by the huge assortment of toys at the house. There was another toddler who was about a year older than Bree and she was the kind of toddler that Bree’s mum can’t tolerate. I was told that the toddler didn’t do as she was told and would wail and scream at any little thing that didn’t go her way. Bree’s mum told me that she is reading and learning as quickly as possible about toddlers because she fears that Bree might turn out like that as well. I do not know the other child and it is not fair for me to comment on her behaviours. There could be a number of reasons as to why she carried on the way she did at the party.
Bree’s mum then told me what happened on Sunday. While having a conversation with Bree’s dad, she was also watching Bree playing nearby and observed the following animated episode starring Bree. Not realising that her mum was still watching her, Bree plonked herself down on the floor, kicked her legs about and then whined, “I don’t want to. I don’t want to. No!” Bree’s mum didn’t know what to make of it at first. Bree continued with her performance. She repeatedly said no, trying out different voices. Bree’s dad found this so amusing that he wanted to get his camera. When she turned around and saw both her parents watching her, she stood up smiling and did a little dance before walking to her dad to ask for a cuddle. Bree’s mum instantly thought that her precious little baby had turned into a rebel overnight. She said she searched her head thoroughly because the scene was familiar. Bree’s dad had more sense. He reminded her of the little girl at the party. So, it turned out that Bree was just re-enacting what she saw the day before. That actually made her mum more worried. She told me that Bree could be practising. I can understand why this caring mum is panicking. She is a first time mum and she may be feeling a lack of confidence in handling a kicking and screaming toddler. Many parents fears that they may loose control of their children.
In my opinion, Bree could be practising what she saw. I have seen this happening to another child as well. However, acting out something she saw does not necessary mean that Bree will start applying it in real life. I prefer to continue observing Bree and see that her immediate needs are met. By meeting her needs, showing her ways to communicate her feelings each day and develop skills to become more independent, we can lessen a toddler’s frustration. Being a toddler is a frustrating role. A toddler is not quite a small child, nor is she a baby. She yearns to be a child and yet she needs to be able to return to the safety of being a baby when she needs to. The sense of order is also very acute around this age and any unexpected changes (in the environment or daily routines) can affect the child’s tolerance tremendously. I have been requested to be firm with Bree even though she has not been misbehaving so far. The word ‘firm’ has a different meaning to different people. I certainly do not wish to start punishing the child for minor reasons or introduce a naughty chair/corner. That is just not my style! It is better to encourage the child to experiment and to learn to cooperate through various activities in a safe and secure setting, and to continue demonstrating and modelling appropriate behaviours. I truly believe that the child will reciprocate the same if we treat her with respect and care. This does not mean that I will ignore bad behaviours and let Bree get away with murder. There really is no issue at the moment. With my fingers crossed, I dare to say that not all children go through a stormy toddlerhood. All I want now is to maintain the bond and trust we have developed between us.
Discount Online Shopping
This nanny loves to shop. There is no doubt about that. With a smaller income than most people, I have to shop around for bargains. Online shopping can be quite a bargain if you know where to look. And from past experience, I learn that we Aussies can beat the exorbitant postage when buying stuff from overseas by combining our purchases to create a bigger order. Many companies offer savings on postage for bigger orders. Luckily, I also have accommodating relatives overseas to receive packages for me because some companies offer free local postage/delivery.
I have been invited to a baby shower and with Christmas coming up, I am itching to get something from GAP for myself as well. Someone from the US also spoke highly of a store called the Oriental Trading Company and I am keen to get a few things from them. They have arts & crafts items that are not available here. They also have other Teacher’s Resources. According to the couponchief.com, one of the Oriental Trading Company coupon is an offer of free shipping for orders over $60.00. (This offer expires on Oct 18th) I am pretty sure that this is referring to local shipping within USA. There are also deals for shopping at Gap online store. There is a Gap coupon for Free Shipping for purchase above $50.00 if the items are paid for with a Gap Card. Unfortunately, I don’t have a Gap Card. If shopping for children for this Christmas, check out also the deals from couponchief.com for kbtoys.com. This toy store is jam packed with stuff for fans of licensed characters. People looking for these type of toys will love the KBToys coupons. They also have other toys and baby gear. I like visiting kbtoys.com to see what is available. There are things available in the US that we can’t get here in Australia. This is true too for things in Japan. There are heaps of things made for the Japanese market that are never going to make their way to Melbourne.
Some people are content with what is available locally. I tend to like to see what is available outside my zone. I have bought things from overseas and the experience has been great so far. Sometimes I prefer the online service than what I receive in real shops. I have to say that online shopping has made it easy for many people who do not jet around the world every time they wanted to buy something.
online shopping
I have been invited to a baby shower and with Christmas coming up, I am itching to get something from GAP for myself as well. Someone from the US also spoke highly of a store called the Oriental Trading Company and I am keen to get a few things from them. They have arts & crafts items that are not available here. They also have other Teacher’s Resources. According to the couponchief.com, one of the Oriental Trading Company coupon is an offer of free shipping for orders over $60.00. (This offer expires on Oct 18th) I am pretty sure that this is referring to local shipping within USA. There are also deals for shopping at Gap online store. There is a Gap coupon for Free Shipping for purchase above $50.00 if the items are paid for with a Gap Card. Unfortunately, I don’t have a Gap Card. If shopping for children for this Christmas, check out also the deals from couponchief.com for kbtoys.com. This toy store is jam packed with stuff for fans of licensed characters. People looking for these type of toys will love the KBToys coupons. They also have other toys and baby gear. I like visiting kbtoys.com to see what is available. There are things available in the US that we can’t get here in Australia. This is true too for things in Japan. There are heaps of things made for the Japanese market that are never going to make their way to Melbourne.
Some people are content with what is available locally. I tend to like to see what is available outside my zone. I have bought things from overseas and the experience has been great so far. Sometimes I prefer the online service than what I receive in real shops. I have to say that online shopping has made it easy for many people who do not jet around the world every time they wanted to buy something.
online shopping
Tuesday, 9 October 2007
Who Is This Test Driver Again?
Here is a picture of the test driver that I mentioned earlier. Does anyone know his name? After this picture was taken, he zoomed down Lygon St in a Ferrari Formula 1 Racer. I am not a Ferrari fan but I took the pictures because I happened to be there on Lygon St that day. Just in case if anyone is interested, this nanny is a McLaren fan. Rookie Hamilton will make me a very happy nanny if he wins the next race. I have my fingers crossed. I really think it is time for McLaren to come first again.
Online Videos
I went to check out a favourite bookstore on Lygon St earlier this year. The day was steamy, threatening to rain. I noticed that many people were heading the same way I was going but it was not until I approached the corner of Lygon St and Faraday St that I realised that there was going to be some kind of event. I looked around to see what it was going to be and found out that the Ferraris were coming. I wasted no time to give the Good Samaritan a call and instructed him to bring my camera. Being another Formula 1 racing fan, he didn’t hesitate to drag himself out of bed at all. Together, we found a good spot to take footages of the Ferraris driving down Lygon St. The Formula 1 racer was driven by a test driver but I have forgotten his name. Later, we uploaded our best footage on YouTube.
That was my first attempt to upload videos online. Since then, I have been checking out YouTube to look for funny videos. People enjoy uploading footages of their children. I think these people are ‘brave’ to do that because once the footages are uploaded, no one can monitor who is accessing them. I, as a nanny will never upload any images or footages of my charges.
Reel SEO is an interesting website for those who are interested to learn about online videos. It is only a few months old. It has great tips and up to date information on how to optimize and market online video footages on search engines. This can improve and generate more traffic to the online videos and have them ranked. There are also heaps of links to other useful websites to boost the hobby of making online videos. Leon, my neighbour, is really into this type of things. He will certainly find the website interesting. Unlike us, I don’t think he is content to just simply upload a basic video footage. With his help, Winnie made beautiful video diaries of their little boy.
Video Search Marketing and Video SEO - ReelSEO.com
This is a Sponsored Post.
That was my first attempt to upload videos online. Since then, I have been checking out YouTube to look for funny videos. People enjoy uploading footages of their children. I think these people are ‘brave’ to do that because once the footages are uploaded, no one can monitor who is accessing them. I, as a nanny will never upload any images or footages of my charges.
Reel SEO is an interesting website for those who are interested to learn about online videos. It is only a few months old. It has great tips and up to date information on how to optimize and market online video footages on search engines. This can improve and generate more traffic to the online videos and have them ranked. There are also heaps of links to other useful websites to boost the hobby of making online videos. Leon, my neighbour, is really into this type of things. He will certainly find the website interesting. Unlike us, I don’t think he is content to just simply upload a basic video footage. With his help, Winnie made beautiful video diaries of their little boy.
Video Search Marketing and Video SEO - ReelSEO.com
This is a Sponsored Post.
Sunday, 7 October 2007
Laughing At Tasered Florida Uni Kid
Did anyone see the footage of the Florida university student who was tasered about a week or two ago? I am not here to debate as to whether he deserved to be treated like that or not. There are many blogs out there on this issue. However, I did hear from somewhere that John Kerry actually urged the student to carry on speaking and told the others to leave him alone. Anyway, what bothered me most was what I saw happening in the background while the poor guy was getting tasered away. This bloke, probably another uni kid, dressed in a peach/pink shirt (I can’t be certain because the footage was quite grainy), was actually having a good laugh. Ok, it is quite disgusting that these young Americans were sitting obediently as their peer was begging not to be hurt, but it is actually downright disgusting to see one laughing away like he is watching Funniest Home Videos. Ok, I can understand that it is not blokey to be seen crying or getting upset in a situation like that, but if he is not intending to step in to help, he should at least sit still like the rest of the goofballs around him. It is natural for many to ask the whereabouts of Freedom of Speech but I am more inclined to ask what sort of human beings are we churning out in the 21st century?
Saturday, 6 October 2007
Food Theme @ Stella's Kindergarten
Stella’s teachers virtually spent the whole of last term discussing healthy eating with the children. Among many things, they sang about food, did artwork on food, heard stories about food, talked about food, grew some vegetables, planned and held a morning tea for a Father’s Day celebration, and had lunch at a fancy restaurant. On some days, even the outdoor activities had a food theme. Here are a couple more of things they did.
The teachers supported the children in planning a morning tea for the fathers. The children chose a simple menu (including pancakes) and with the help of their teachers, a list was made of all required ingredients and equipment. To ensure smooth operation on the day, the children had plenty of practice leading up to the special morning tea. They even made trips in small groups to the local supermarket to get part of the ingredients required. On that special morning, Stella’s parents accompanied her to Kindergarten. They were very proud of her. She cooked them both pancakes and served them with cream and blueberry sauce. The little chef didn’t learn to do all that at Kindergarten. She already had plenty of simple cooking experiences at home with a woman she sees at least twice a week.
At the end of term, Stella and her classmates were all invited to lunch at a fancy restaurant. The parents of one of the little girls in her class runs a popular restaurant and they offered the children and their teachers a special grown-up experience of eating out in a slightly more formal setting. The experience was not free but the cost for each person was kept affordable so that everyone could participate. Because the venue was a restaurant, each child was expected to be accompanied by an adult. Stella went with her mum. Apparently, around half of the children in her group turned up. A few children did sign up but didn’t turn up on the day. Stella’s mum and dad had dined at that restaurant in the past and both said the food there was not bad. They have never taken Stella to that restaurant. They weren’t sure if she was mature enough to handle ‘proper’ a restaurant at her age. So far they have only taken her out for lunch at casual cafes that are child friendly. I think they also took her to a Chinese restaurant in China Town earlier this year when she saw the noisy lion dance. I asked Stella if she enjoyed having lunch at her friend’s restaurant. She told me that she really liked the prawns. I thought the restaurant or her friends’ parents were very generous to include seafood on the menu. She also told me that they got to take a peek of the busy kitchen and met the chef when they first got there. Stella’s mum said that this was only possible because the group got there well before the mad lunch rush. The chef came out to greet the children and then the mum of Stella’s friend (assisted by one teacher) took the children in small groups of three to take a peek at the kitchen. The lunch went quite smoothly. The children were better behaved than expected. Apparently, only one glass was broken when someone accidentally knocked it over the table.
It is wonderful for Stella to be taught by such dedicated teachers. This wasn’t the first time they extended the children’s education beyond the Kindergarten grounds. At the start of every term they talk to the children, stimulating them to generate ideas that they can all look deeper into. The Food theme came about in the first week of last term when the children talked about the food in their lunch boxes. On one of these discussions, food producers were mentioned and that led the children back to their visit to the children’s farm in the previous term. It is obvious that the teachers were trying to tie the children’s previous knowledge to their discussions. We, the parents (nanny, grandparents or other carers), were kept informed via casual chats with the teachers, newsletters and the child’s diary. Without that, Stella also gave us daily updates to keep track of what she and her friends had been up to. She can be quite a little journalist.
The teachers supported the children in planning a morning tea for the fathers. The children chose a simple menu (including pancakes) and with the help of their teachers, a list was made of all required ingredients and equipment. To ensure smooth operation on the day, the children had plenty of practice leading up to the special morning tea. They even made trips in small groups to the local supermarket to get part of the ingredients required. On that special morning, Stella’s parents accompanied her to Kindergarten. They were very proud of her. She cooked them both pancakes and served them with cream and blueberry sauce. The little chef didn’t learn to do all that at Kindergarten. She already had plenty of simple cooking experiences at home with a woman she sees at least twice a week.
At the end of term, Stella and her classmates were all invited to lunch at a fancy restaurant. The parents of one of the little girls in her class runs a popular restaurant and they offered the children and their teachers a special grown-up experience of eating out in a slightly more formal setting. The experience was not free but the cost for each person was kept affordable so that everyone could participate. Because the venue was a restaurant, each child was expected to be accompanied by an adult. Stella went with her mum. Apparently, around half of the children in her group turned up. A few children did sign up but didn’t turn up on the day. Stella’s mum and dad had dined at that restaurant in the past and both said the food there was not bad. They have never taken Stella to that restaurant. They weren’t sure if she was mature enough to handle ‘proper’ a restaurant at her age. So far they have only taken her out for lunch at casual cafes that are child friendly. I think they also took her to a Chinese restaurant in China Town earlier this year when she saw the noisy lion dance. I asked Stella if she enjoyed having lunch at her friend’s restaurant. She told me that she really liked the prawns. I thought the restaurant or her friends’ parents were very generous to include seafood on the menu. She also told me that they got to take a peek of the busy kitchen and met the chef when they first got there. Stella’s mum said that this was only possible because the group got there well before the mad lunch rush. The chef came out to greet the children and then the mum of Stella’s friend (assisted by one teacher) took the children in small groups of three to take a peek at the kitchen. The lunch went quite smoothly. The children were better behaved than expected. Apparently, only one glass was broken when someone accidentally knocked it over the table.
It is wonderful for Stella to be taught by such dedicated teachers. This wasn’t the first time they extended the children’s education beyond the Kindergarten grounds. At the start of every term they talk to the children, stimulating them to generate ideas that they can all look deeper into. The Food theme came about in the first week of last term when the children talked about the food in their lunch boxes. On one of these discussions, food producers were mentioned and that led the children back to their visit to the children’s farm in the previous term. It is obvious that the teachers were trying to tie the children’s previous knowledge to their discussions. We, the parents (nanny, grandparents or other carers), were kept informed via casual chats with the teachers, newsletters and the child’s diary. Without that, Stella also gave us daily updates to keep track of what she and her friends had been up to. She can be quite a little journalist.
Friday, 5 October 2007
More Lighting For The Garage
I recently whinged that the body corporate of our apartment building spent too much money installing more video cameras all over the place. I now regret doing that because the cameras did their job around 10 days ago when some dude broke into one of the garages. Unfortunately, the lighting is quite poor and the resulting images of the incident are blurry and grainy. The place does resemble a dungeon even in the day. There are fluorescent lighting but they are just not adequate. I think the next time money is spent to improve our building, they should consider adding more lights.
garage lighting
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garage lighting
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Stella and Lachlan’s Tower
I haven’t been blogging about my charges for a while. However, I just can’t resist blogging about what I saw last Wednesday when Lachlan came to play. I love observing the way young children play. While they learn through play, we as adults can see how they learn through play. I just find these sort of observations interesting.
We usually meet Lachlan at the big park on Thursdays. Since it is school holidays, he and his nanny came over to Stella’s house for a little play last Wednesday. The children asked to play together and we, the nannies, got the permission to do so from their parents. The arrangement was for Lachlan to come to Stella’s house first and then for Stella to go to his place for his birthday this Saturday. Stella’s mum will be taking her to the birthday party. Stella is apparently one of only two girls invited to the party. LOL. The other little girl is a cousin of Lachlan’s.
Stella didn’t nap properly last Wednesday. She was too excited. We planned to make French toasts for afternoon tea for everyone. We were in the middle of preparing the cooking activity when Lachlan and his nanny arrived. Lachlan was a little shy, behaving a little differently from when we met him at the park. As expected, his nanny was a little surprised that I actually allowed Stella to participate actively around the electric frypan. Lachlan wasn’t that interested in the cooking process. He stayed pretty close to his nanny and watched from there. Little mother hen Stella just couldn’t stop encouraging him to join in. She kept asking him to beat the eggs. She also showed him how to dip the bread in the egg mixture and encouraged him to do so. Lachlan was a little reluctant to join in. Once the French toasts were cooked and ready to be served, Lachlan came out of his shell a little more. The French toasts were gone within minutes. Lachlan’s nanny asked her charge if he would like to have them again at home and he said, “Yes, and we can make them too.”
After the yummy afternoon tea, I suggested that Stella should show Lachlan her toys or her artwork. His nanny walked off with them suggesting that they find something to do. I immediately went to work, cleaning up, before joining them. I was loading the dishwasher when I noticed that Stella was back again. I thought she was back to fetch a drink but NO! Stella was back to help me clean up! Stella really scares me sometimes. She is like an adult in a child’s body. I gently reminded her that we shouldn’t leave our guests unattended. I decided to leave the cleaning too to join our friends.
Lachlan wanted to play with Stella’s barrels of wooden blocks. He kept asking her why she has 3 identical barrels. She told him that she needed heaps of blocks to build a town. (Her parents actually bought these top quality blocks when a toy shop closed down.) Lachlan then suggested that they build a tower in the middle of the town. He wanted a very tall tower. The children started to build while we two nannies sat on the couch relaxing and chatting. At some point, Lachlan decided that the toy elephant on the window sill must sit on the top of the tower because the town they were building was Thailand. That was what he said. LOL. His nanny was in the middle of telling me about the family’s vacation in Thailand when Stella disagreed with Lachlan’s plan. She refused to let him have the elephant on the window sill. Lachlan insisted and I was about to put a stop to the bickering when I overheard Stella’s explanation. She told Lachlan that the elephant on the window sill is from Africa. She told him that she needed to fetch her Asian elephant from the cupboard to sit on this tower. Lachlan calmed down and went with her to the cupboard. There he asked if the elephant in her hand came from Thailand. This is what she said, “This one is like the ones at the zoo and the ones at the zoo are from Thailand. Have you been to the zoo? May be we can all go to the zoo together. Do you want to go, Lachlan?”
The town building continued again. Lachlan didn’t seem to like her help too much so Stella concentrated on building some kind of a park with a bridge around the tower. Before long, the skinny tower was almost as tall as Lachlan. He tried to place the elephant on the top. The tower toppled. They rebuilt it again for Stella to place the elephant on the top. We, the adults knew that the tower was going to collapse but kept quiet. Stella’s try was also a failure as expected. Lachlan suggested the idea of adding something flat on the top of the tower for the elephant to stand on. The two builders set off to work again and as before, their new plans didn’t help. The elephant fell off and the tower came crashing down. Eventually, Stella suggested a bigger tower, instead of a skinny one. This time the tower was actually wide enough for the elephant to stand on and it was up to Lachlan’s chest. There was no need to add the picture book on the top for the elephant. It stood there looking proud guarding the tower and the children declared their project a success with lots of loud cheers.
This building activity is not just play without a purpose. There is the obvious social interaction between the two children. Through their negotiations and discussions, they proceeded to solve their building problems via experimentations. It is this sort of active learning that we would like to see children engage in more. When they were building the big tower, the children ran out of the larger pieces of blocks and had to resort to the smaller pieces used for building a park around the tower earlier. Basic mathematical concepts were explored while doing this. The little engineers had so much fun and so much satisfaction to find a way to build a tower to support their Asian elephant. It was amazing how Stella actually remembered which elephant figurine was which. I didn’t think she remembered what was said during the trip to the zoo to see the new elephants so long ago!
We usually meet Lachlan at the big park on Thursdays. Since it is school holidays, he and his nanny came over to Stella’s house for a little play last Wednesday. The children asked to play together and we, the nannies, got the permission to do so from their parents. The arrangement was for Lachlan to come to Stella’s house first and then for Stella to go to his place for his birthday this Saturday. Stella’s mum will be taking her to the birthday party. Stella is apparently one of only two girls invited to the party. LOL. The other little girl is a cousin of Lachlan’s.
Stella didn’t nap properly last Wednesday. She was too excited. We planned to make French toasts for afternoon tea for everyone. We were in the middle of preparing the cooking activity when Lachlan and his nanny arrived. Lachlan was a little shy, behaving a little differently from when we met him at the park. As expected, his nanny was a little surprised that I actually allowed Stella to participate actively around the electric frypan. Lachlan wasn’t that interested in the cooking process. He stayed pretty close to his nanny and watched from there. Little mother hen Stella just couldn’t stop encouraging him to join in. She kept asking him to beat the eggs. She also showed him how to dip the bread in the egg mixture and encouraged him to do so. Lachlan was a little reluctant to join in. Once the French toasts were cooked and ready to be served, Lachlan came out of his shell a little more. The French toasts were gone within minutes. Lachlan’s nanny asked her charge if he would like to have them again at home and he said, “Yes, and we can make them too.”
After the yummy afternoon tea, I suggested that Stella should show Lachlan her toys or her artwork. His nanny walked off with them suggesting that they find something to do. I immediately went to work, cleaning up, before joining them. I was loading the dishwasher when I noticed that Stella was back again. I thought she was back to fetch a drink but NO! Stella was back to help me clean up! Stella really scares me sometimes. She is like an adult in a child’s body. I gently reminded her that we shouldn’t leave our guests unattended. I decided to leave the cleaning too to join our friends.
Lachlan wanted to play with Stella’s barrels of wooden blocks. He kept asking her why she has 3 identical barrels. She told him that she needed heaps of blocks to build a town. (Her parents actually bought these top quality blocks when a toy shop closed down.) Lachlan then suggested that they build a tower in the middle of the town. He wanted a very tall tower. The children started to build while we two nannies sat on the couch relaxing and chatting. At some point, Lachlan decided that the toy elephant on the window sill must sit on the top of the tower because the town they were building was Thailand. That was what he said. LOL. His nanny was in the middle of telling me about the family’s vacation in Thailand when Stella disagreed with Lachlan’s plan. She refused to let him have the elephant on the window sill. Lachlan insisted and I was about to put a stop to the bickering when I overheard Stella’s explanation. She told Lachlan that the elephant on the window sill is from Africa. She told him that she needed to fetch her Asian elephant from the cupboard to sit on this tower. Lachlan calmed down and went with her to the cupboard. There he asked if the elephant in her hand came from Thailand. This is what she said, “This one is like the ones at the zoo and the ones at the zoo are from Thailand. Have you been to the zoo? May be we can all go to the zoo together. Do you want to go, Lachlan?”
The town building continued again. Lachlan didn’t seem to like her help too much so Stella concentrated on building some kind of a park with a bridge around the tower. Before long, the skinny tower was almost as tall as Lachlan. He tried to place the elephant on the top. The tower toppled. They rebuilt it again for Stella to place the elephant on the top. We, the adults knew that the tower was going to collapse but kept quiet. Stella’s try was also a failure as expected. Lachlan suggested the idea of adding something flat on the top of the tower for the elephant to stand on. The two builders set off to work again and as before, their new plans didn’t help. The elephant fell off and the tower came crashing down. Eventually, Stella suggested a bigger tower, instead of a skinny one. This time the tower was actually wide enough for the elephant to stand on and it was up to Lachlan’s chest. There was no need to add the picture book on the top for the elephant. It stood there looking proud guarding the tower and the children declared their project a success with lots of loud cheers.
This building activity is not just play without a purpose. There is the obvious social interaction between the two children. Through their negotiations and discussions, they proceeded to solve their building problems via experimentations. It is this sort of active learning that we would like to see children engage in more. When they were building the big tower, the children ran out of the larger pieces of blocks and had to resort to the smaller pieces used for building a park around the tower earlier. Basic mathematical concepts were explored while doing this. The little engineers had so much fun and so much satisfaction to find a way to build a tower to support their Asian elephant. It was amazing how Stella actually remembered which elephant figurine was which. I didn’t think she remembered what was said during the trip to the zoo to see the new elephants so long ago!
Tuesday, 2 October 2007
Online Storage
It is amazing how it is now possible to obtain extra storage space online. At IDrive-E, a leading online backup service provider, everyone is welcomed to sign up to 2GB of backup space absolutely FREE. This can be used for storing photos, media files or other documents. It is easy to use, secure and reliable. There are no backup & restore restrictions or bandwidth limits or file type restrictions. This caters to people’s different needs.
At IDrive-E, they also offer IDrive-E Pro Version to people requiring larger storage space. This version is not free though. For only $4.95 (US Dollars) per month, this version offers families or small business operators unlimited storage space. To make management easy, one central account can be created for multiple users within a family or small business. And it is possible to monitor the actions taken by every additional user from the central web based console. The additional users can also be further grouped under different departments for easy identification.
The services offered by IDrive-E seem easy to use. It is as easy as just dragging and dropping the files from point A to point B. They provide ‘Continuous Data Protection’. This feature recognizes changes made to files/folders and backs them up approximately every 10 minutes. IDrive-E also offers phone support for those of us who needs the extra guidance. The handy thing about online storage space is that one can easily access files away from home or when the poor computer at home crashed. By login online, one can view any files stored there or to retrieve and restore any that needed to be. There is no need to cry when someone cheekily deleted the photos painstakingly taken over years.
online backup
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At IDrive-E, they also offer IDrive-E Pro Version to people requiring larger storage space. This version is not free though. For only $4.95 (US Dollars) per month, this version offers families or small business operators unlimited storage space. To make management easy, one central account can be created for multiple users within a family or small business. And it is possible to monitor the actions taken by every additional user from the central web based console. The additional users can also be further grouped under different departments for easy identification.
The services offered by IDrive-E seem easy to use. It is as easy as just dragging and dropping the files from point A to point B. They provide ‘Continuous Data Protection’. This feature recognizes changes made to files/folders and backs them up approximately every 10 minutes. IDrive-E also offers phone support for those of us who needs the extra guidance. The handy thing about online storage space is that one can easily access files away from home or when the poor computer at home crashed. By login online, one can view any files stored there or to retrieve and restore any that needed to be. There is no need to cry when someone cheekily deleted the photos painstakingly taken over years.
online backup
This is a Sponsored Post.
Monday, 1 October 2007
Australian Made Sandpit Toys Set Found!
I ducked into Big W at QV to have a little look before shopping for groceries at Safeway on the weekend. I don’t know why but I have been feeling like shopping for Christmas lately. Anyway, I found this set of Australian made sandpit toys. I think they are made by a company called Fountain Plastics. Unlike the flimsy individual pieces that I blogged about earlier, the items in this pack are actually pretty sturdy. From memory, I think the set includes a sieve, a few moulds, a rake and probably a spade or a sand ladle. All of the items are simply packed in one of those mesh wrappers that are normally used to hold oranges. All this costs less than $8.00! What a great gift idea especially if you are a thrifty nanny?
I am pretty sure that I have blogged about Australian made, individual pieces of sandpit toys from Big W, a while ago. I am not sure if those flimsy ones and the set mentioned above are from the same company.
Finding this set of Australian made sandpit toys proved that Australian made toys have not gone entirely extinct as of yet. I am aware that they are some small local manufacturers out there making pieces of top quality toys. It will be so nice if someone will bring all Aussie toymakers together to exhibit their products to the public. This will educate the public, letting them know that there are Aussie choices available. If parents can see before their eyes the sort of Australian toys on offer, they (especially the ones who can afford the higher price tags) are less likely to have to choose Fisher Price, Barbie or Hot Wheels. There are parents out there who are looking for well made toys and equipment for their children. Many, like Stella’s mum, are simply not attracted to toys that are linked to licensed characters.
I am pretty sure that I have blogged about Australian made, individual pieces of sandpit toys from Big W, a while ago. I am not sure if those flimsy ones and the set mentioned above are from the same company.
Finding this set of Australian made sandpit toys proved that Australian made toys have not gone entirely extinct as of yet. I am aware that they are some small local manufacturers out there making pieces of top quality toys. It will be so nice if someone will bring all Aussie toymakers together to exhibit their products to the public. This will educate the public, letting them know that there are Aussie choices available. If parents can see before their eyes the sort of Australian toys on offer, they (especially the ones who can afford the higher price tags) are less likely to have to choose Fisher Price, Barbie or Hot Wheels. There are parents out there who are looking for well made toys and equipment for their children. Many, like Stella’s mum, are simply not attracted to toys that are linked to licensed characters.
Extra Storage Space Required!
September has gone and Spring has already been here for a month! This nanny is slowly cleaning her apartment. There are things that need to be thrown out. There are also things waiting to be sorted out and stored away. There are things in boxes that have been waiting for months to be taken to our rented storage facility. This nanny is fast running out of storage space within her small apartment. She is simply hoarding too many things.
There are a couple of foldable easy chairs and a couple of bikes hanging on the bike rack at our car spot in the communal car park. Other people store things at their own spots too. Despite the recent break-ins, it may still be a good idea to add functional storage space if we are careful with our selections. This nanny might find the idea of some robust metal cabinets with good locks useful. Things that are not required immediately can be stored in the garage to create more space within the apartment while bulkier things that are not required all the time can continue to be stored at our rented storage facility.
garage storage
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There are a couple of foldable easy chairs and a couple of bikes hanging on the bike rack at our car spot in the communal car park. Other people store things at their own spots too. Despite the recent break-ins, it may still be a good idea to add functional storage space if we are careful with our selections. This nanny might find the idea of some robust metal cabinets with good locks useful. Things that are not required immediately can be stored in the garage to create more space within the apartment while bulkier things that are not required all the time can continue to be stored at our rented storage facility.
garage storage
This is a Sponsored Post
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