Today my mom and I cleaned my kitchen. From top to bottom. Front to back. Side to side.
Unfortunately, I forgot to take before pictures. But I got some afters!
The gleaming stove and back splash: –
The gleaming sink: –
And the defrosted (heh, remember that?) freezer!!!
Then we had sushi for lunch. It was a good day! 🙂
Due to a variety of stupid (a word I never use, but this was) and asinine posts on Mumsnet last night, my Twitter feed exploded.
A new member of the Mumsnet bloggers network decided she needed to introduce herself by announcing that everyone of course knew who she was (never heard of her) and that she’d be happy to help all us poor, new, ignorant bloggers learn how to blog. O_o
It didn’t go down well and I started the push back. She got my back up. And I said so. I didn’t call her names. I didn’t do anything but be my usual honest self.
And then the Twitter attack followed. I had hidden the thread because once the arguments start going in circles I get bored and move on and yet her and her followers decided to take the conversation to another medium. And attack me. I have been called a bully, told I should be ashamed of myself and other things.
I went to bed. I did say I wouldn’t remember any of this by today, which of course was hyperbole to show how much I didn’t care. And I don’t care.
But one person’s form of attack was to Tweet that someone should teach me how to add pictures and a ‘good header’ to my site. And that made me laugh (have you heard of my company? No? Designed To A Tee? We do graphics. Including internet ones. I own it.).
Anyway, that one I responded to. Because while pictures are nice, they are hardly required. Oh and I like the design of my blog. Or I’d change it.
And I was told blogs need pictures.
Okay then. Tell me…what picture would you use when writing about fibro? Or diabetes? Or Depression? Or this post right here?
Writing about my son? Okay, maybe a picture would be nice. But I don’t just write about my son.
I write about me. And sometimes me is not graphical.
Even if I am a graphic artist.
PS I have asked MNHQ for some clarification as to what the network is for. I thought it was for the MN community along with some ‘famous’ bloggers to give it umph. I didn’t know they were inviting random bloggers to join. I haven’t heard anything back yet, but I may be dropping off the network as it is apparently not what I thought it was. I also may not. I’ll keep you posted.
A small boy has never had so.much.fun! Walks and shopping and walking and holding hands and playing on the floor and dinner out and playing and the park and tomorrow a picnic!
We also have new toys and clothes and have eaten very very well, including nearly an entire plate of spaghetti Bolognese at Pizza Express tonight.
Mummy has gotten to relax and do some work and get some sleep and is going to do some cleaning on Thursday.
We are going to be very very sad to see Grandma go.
But we still have a week!!!
So I can’t say certain things. Not really, but it made her go ‘humph’ in that Mummy way Mummies do when their children are being cheeky.
She’s quite good at it, having been a Mummy for 44 years this past April. Also Step-Mummy to 4 others and Grandma to 10. She has the Mummy ‘humph’ down very well.
She had a long and tiring journey (she just corrected a typo, BTW. Cheeky Mummy!!) but the only delay was between London and Belfast, so that’s not so bad.
She came bringing many gifts, including enough sweat pants to last Adam until he graduates University. Not quite, but close!
Also two boxes of Grape-Nuts, a box of Saltines and enough zip-lock bags to last another 10 months, which is when she comes back.
She also brought, from her trip to Africa, a gorgeous handmade Christmas Tree ornament, a hand carved Elephant for my collection (I don’t think I’ve written about my elephant collection…) and a hand carved giraffe spoon. We won’t talk about the Chinese bottle cover because it is, frankly, a bit disturbing. 🙂 (Yes, she’s still sitting right here!)
A little boy had about 1 hour of big eyed staring and then was all over Grandma, showing her toys, doing puzzles, running up and down the hall with hugs included and just being himself. Once a week Skyping is very good for letting little boys get to know their far flung Grandmothers and vice versa.
We have many and varied plans for the next 12 days including a day of just me and her and some shops, at least one day at the zoo, and as many trips to the park as a little boy can handle.
Simon will be off work for the 2nd week she’s here so he’ll get to join in the fun as well.
My step-dad, as previously noted, did not come with her. I imagine that the second he left her at the airport he headed for the supermarket and bought all the foods he’s not normally allowed to eat, including Ben and Jerry’s in a variety of flavours.
So I may not be blogging much the next 2 weeks or so.
I’ll be too busy having fun!
I learned to cook.
I honestly have no idea.
I was thinking about this tonight as I put meatballs together for dinner. I know where the recipe is from (The Silver Spoon). I even know what changes I have made from that recipe to get to the meatballs I am serving tonight.
But where did I learn how to finely mince garlic with a knife? How to chop an onion in pieces using the shape of it to help?
I know some of it was from watching cooks on TV, Jeff Smith, the Frugal Gourmet for one. I had no idea he died. RIP. Or that he was accused of sexually abusing young boys. But I did like watching his show. Especially when Elmo was on.
But the rest of it? Knowing how to change a recipe to suit my (and now my family’s taste)? I have no memory.
I suppose my mom taught me some of it. She’s a very good cook. And my brother, he cooks gourmet and is fussy to the point of throwing things away if he thinks they aren’t up to his standards. I often think he should have opened a restaurant.
I do love to cook. From recipes. From memory. From cookbooks and TV shows and, now, the internet and my iPhone.
With my mother visiting what to cook is in my head. She will make chicken soup with matzoh balls at least once. And I’ll get her to make a meatloaf (Simon likes hers more than mine. Fact.) one night. But what else shall we have?
For her first night I am making my ‘dinner party’ meal of Chicken Casserole (also from Silver Spoon), stuffed courgette (a recipe I actually got from her and tweaked) and garlic mashed potatoes. However, my mother cannot have alcohol of any sort since her pancreas attack of a year ago June so Chicken Casserole will be made with stock rather than wine. I hope it’s as good. I’ll let you know.
She has requested my Shepherd’s Pie and my Paella, so I’ll make both of those, with an alternate for Adam on Paella night. He hates Paella. Fact.
I wonder what else I should cook…
Tonight as Adam was being cranky and crabby and clingy I suddenly felt weak and dizzy and sick. And I realized I was having a hypo.
I haven’t had a hypo since my pregnancy when I was on insulin. Hypos are very unusual on metformin, which is what I take now. As it’s not an insulin replacement but an insulin enhancer it doesn’t do what actual insulin does. It helps the insulin you have work better so, theoretically, your body should still be producing, with metformin’s help, just the right amount of insulin to cover what you ate. Just like a non-diabetic.
So what happened? I have no idea. I’ve started back on my eating plan so I know that I ate enough at lunch. Some rolls, some soup, a yellow pepper, 1/2 an apple and 1/2 a nectarine (Adam likes the first bite or 2, then I eat the rest). In fact, with the rolls and the fruit I probably had too many carbs at lunch.
I didn’t check my blood so I don’t know for sure that I was hypo but it certainly felt like it. One second I was a bit hungry and the next I was shaking and feeling a bit fuzzy.
I have been thinking about talking to my diabetes team about reducing my metformin anyway as my numbers have been consistently good. Oh I get the occasional highish number but they are getting rarer. It helps that I am continuing to lose weight.
So why was I hypo at 5pm?
No idea.
But next time, if there is a next time, I will check my blood and remember that some orange juice is the best cure.
Or, my actual preferred method during my pregnancy, a Mars Bar. 🙂
As in honest, not as in I’m changing my name!
As I’ve mentioned before, I am now a member of the Mumsnet Bloggers Network. As such I have a listing on their Bloggers Network Page. My listing says:
“Tee is a graphic designer, an expat and an older mum with a young child. Follow her frank blog on working and parenting, while dealing with chronic pain and mental health issues.”
See? Frank. Officially.
OH THE PRESSURE!
🙂
in about 5 days my mother arrives for a nice long visit. We are planning lots of fun activities along with some organizing the house stuff that she will Adam wrangle during.
The original purpose of the timing of her visit was so she could Adam wrangle while I packed, thinking that we were moving the end of the month. As we have not found a place to live, that is not to be. But we are still doing a major clear out and I will get some of that done while she’s here. I mean, Adam’s 2, maybe it’s time to get ride of my maternity clothes?
Since her basic premise for coming was Adam wrangling, my step-dad decided to not come with her. So Pops is staying home, playing golf, probably reading a lot and eating things he’s not suppose to while Grandma comes to play. We’ll miss him, of course. But I think he will enjoy it. Especially the eating things he’s not suppose to part. Grandma is very strict! 🙂
This, BTW, is my mother: –
Isn’t she gorgeous? And, in case you’re wondering, she was 71 in March. This picture was taken last year when she was 70.
As I said at the time, did I get good genes or what?!?!
Until recently there was some concern that Adam had a speech delay. He was barely speaking, although babbling incessantly, and I was starting to get worried.
And then he approached two and started adding new words daily. And started using 2 words together like ‘Hi Daddy!’ and ‘Night Night Daddy!’ (yeah, we’re still lacking some Mummy!!). He still doesn’t talk much around strangers, including at nursery, who say ‘he’s quiet but fun!’, but he talks a lot at home.
And then he says things that make my heart swell with pride. Stupid things. Things that would make other people would look at me like this: O_o
Yesterday, for example, it was picking up his pacifier, showing it to me and saying ‘Dummy.’ Then he nodded and put it back down.
I thought I was going to cry.
I still might at the memory.
I am adoring watching him grow and learn and understand. He still has so much to learn. Numbers and colours and words and writing. Maths and science and drawing.
But there is so much he already knows. Where to put the trash. Which bin his dirty clothes go into. How to step out of trousers (so long as he holds on!).
And how to wear Mummy’s trainers:
What’s that you say? Mummy’s don’t get sick days?
Usually true. But this Mummy has been feeling horrid for at least a week. Missed sleep, stress of ill boy, stress of an emergency with a client (which is thisclose to being resolved, thank god) and, as of this afternoon, a low lever fever led to me saying to Simon ‘I’m taking to my bed on Thursday.’
And I did.
This, of course, was only made possible by three factors. Factor one: Adam at daycare. Factor two: Simon off work on holiday and able to get Adam to and from said daycare. Factor three: the ability to ignore my to do list, which is still as long as my arm and growing all the time.
So I got up with my boys as usual. And the second they were out the door I was back in bed. And there I stayed. Slept. Read some stuff on my phone. Actually did about 5 minutes of work dealing with said clients said emergency. Ate lunch in bed. Slept some more.
I’m still not feeling great and will try to have an early night. But I would feel worse if I had pushed myself, my spoons were so low already.
So Mummy had a sick day.
And feels a bit better for it.