Writer's Workshop

5.) Advice to new mothers.


When I was pregnant with Ethan, everyone I met had some advice for me. What to do or eat while I was pregnant. I got advice on how to make my labour smoother. Once Ethan was born I was inundated with advice. It got to a point where I questioned myself. 


Yes, I was a new mom. But I didn't feel I was a bad one. I wanted to do things my way. Learn. Make mistakes (as long as they didn't cause Ethan harm). But everyone I knew would tell me when to feed, what to feed, how to bathe him, dress him, hold him. It was crazy.


You've heard of Mother's intuition, right? I remember being pregnant and wondering if I would ever have that. And then, the minute I held Ethan, I knew I did.


So, my advice for a new mom is simple; Don't listen to advice. If you have questions, ask. But as for all the unsolicited advice you'll receive, take it with a grain of salt. Seriously. With the advice I was given, it got to the point where I felt I couldn't trust my instinct. I didn't have a mother's instinct. So, don't listen to it all. 


Trust yourself. You may be a new mom, but you're a mom. You have that instinct. You know what to do. And while everyone's there to help, that's just that. Help. Not tell you what to do. Trust yourself, and ignore the rest. 


Having said that, I do have one more piece of advice. Take time for yourself and your partner. Never forget, that before you were a mother, you were are a person. You need some time for yourself and your partner. Time to connect. Enjoy each other as you did before two became three.


This unsolicited advice has been brought to you by Mama Kat and her Writer's Workshop.


My apologies, but I can't get the button to work.

Never Let Me Go - Kazua Ishiguro

I was doing so well with my reading challenge, then fell behind.
And, unfortunately, it's partly due to this book.

I've been reading some dystopia books recently, and really enjoy them. It's funny, but it wasn't until this weekend, I realised I've been reading them for years. Margaret Atwood would have to be the Queen of Dystopia with The Handmaid's Tale and Oryx and Crake.


Never Let Me Go is more on Atwood's line of dystopia than the young adult ones I've been reading. Having said that, it was hard to get into.

Here's my problem:

The book begins in the late 1990s. So while it's an alternate society type book, having taken place almost 20 years ago, confuses me some. It's not the "unseen future" but a never happened past.

Kathy, our narrator, turns out talks a lot like me. She's telling the story of her life in Hailsham. She starts talking about something, then goes to another story then returns to the one she was telling. Yikes, do I really get off track like that? It made it hard to follow.

However, Kazua Ishiguro has laid out a story that leaves you asking questions and wanting more. He discusses these illnesses, but doesn't share it all at once. I kept reading to learn more about the carers and donors.

Half way through the book, I learnt it had been made into a movie. So you know I'm off to check out Amazon to see if I should get it!

Muffin Tin Meal

Ethan's thrilled to have our Muffin Tin Meals return.

And, although I'm still not as creative as some others,

I have to admit, I've enjoyed getting them together.

Scott came back after a week in Australia, and we celebrated

his return with fajitas night.

Chips and salsa. two helpings of chicken fajitas, cheese and, of course, jelly beans.

I didn't give Ethan any tortillas. For some reason

I didn't think he'd eat them.

But once he saw us,

he wanted to join in to.

52 Weeks of Happiness - Week 28

While Ethan's been loving Lusaka,

he really misses his mates.

And, if I'm honest,

I'd admit he's also misses his grandparents.

And that's where Susan comes in.

Susan is known as Mrs Williams to the students.

However, 

Ethan has issues with there being a Mr and Mrs Williams.

So Susan has become his Bibi.

This weekend, Bibi was awesome.

During our river cruise, 

she showed Ethan the birds

and told him how the monitor lizards would come

and eat their eggs.

Ethan rewarded her with,

 not just kisses,

but a tv kiss.

Happiness is spending time with your Lusaka family.

Kiambi

Don't you just love great weekends in Zambia?

This weekend was yet another fabulous one for the Nisbet clan.

AISL has a social committee.

Gotta love that.

They organised a camping trip to Kiambi, in the lower Zambezi.

I use the term camping, very lightly, 

as most of the teachers camped.

A couple other did the self catering route.

We did the posh, tented camp route!

Driving to Kiambi was a bit of a concern for Scott.

Never having been there before,

we followed the convoy of teachers,

and Scott kept noticing the signs. 

We were heading towards to the Zambian border.

Hopefully we weren't going to cross the border,

as I didn't have our passports!

But instead of crossing the border,

we crossed a river.

We knew we were in for a great weekend, 

when we got a vision of the sunset.

Much of Saturday was spent hanging around,

relaxing, chatting, getting to know each other outside of the school.

Deb brought some books and got all the kids interested

in Cinderella and her tales.

Laura got Ethan interested in Beetle Boy.

I have visions of him wanting to be a beetle for Halloween.

Ethan, not being as shy as he often claims to be,

decided to join in on a game of Frisbee.

Saturday night, we took a sunset cruise.

Susan, my partner in crime,

and I brought a bottle of wine

to enjoy the sunset.

And boy what a sunset it was.

We not only got a great sunset,

we got some family time, 

and we got to see hippos and elephants!

Oh, and in case you're still laughing about Scott thinking we were heading to 

Zimbabwe,

well...

we almost got there.

What a great weekend!

Wordless Wednesday - Chef Ethan

It's Wednesday. 

Ethan has cooking class.

Today's menu; Oat biscuits with banana filling.

52 Weeks of Happiness - Week 27

Scott's back!

Yipee!!!

And while he's had an exhausting week,

we are glad to have him home.

The fact that he brought pressies,

even better!

Scott started a snowglobe collection for me a few years ago,

so my gift was another one for the collection.

Ethan got a little koala bear.

The timing couldn't have been better.

His class was having a Teddy Bear's Picnic at school today.

To celebrate Scott's return,

I made dinner.

Yes, you read that right.

I made dinner!!!

Of course, Scott helped.

He knows I hate touching raw chicken,

and he had issues with my stirring method.

Dinner was fajitas. 

Doesn't it look good?

Happiness is having Scott back and our first family dinner in a while.