Lunch #2

I have a few of these stored up, but forget to share them due to daily life getting in the way...

Mr D has been overseas in Tahiti (LUCKY!!!!) , and I've been a solo working mother this week. It's been an adjustment! I have a new found respect for solo mothers around the globe. 

Despite whether one or two parents are here, this child needs to eat. So I made his lunch tonight while his Nana popped in to bathe him and put him to bed for me. 

The photos of these lunches are never going to be a masterpiece. They are taken in bulb light at about 8.30pm and with an iPhone... so let's not focus on the photo quality. Here's a breakdown with a few more ideas for other lunch box makers out there. 

Pasta: A mix of Vege/Rice Pasta and some wheat pasta spirals. Shredded roast chicken (from my dinner left overs) and steamed broccoli. I grate fresh parmesan over the top and add a squeeze of lemon juice and cracked pepper. He eats this cold. 

Muffin: I bought some Healtheries Bran Flakes and followed the recipe on the back for muffins. It actually worked and I didn't stuff them up! made enough for myself and Art to snack on for the week. 

They've got a bit of goodness in them to counteract the badness, so quite a good recipe. 

Sushi: I got a rice roll maker from the Japanese Home Store for about $3.00. It makes perfect rice rolls for mini sushi bites, so it's so easy to make! Rice in the rice cooker, filling in the rice roller, roll in seaweed, refrigerate, slice... voila! sushi for a little person. Here we have some plain cucumber, and some cream cheese and pineapple. 

Snack Cups:These silicone muffin cases are perfect for lunch boxes! In one I have some cubes of Havarti cheese, some cherry tomato and cucumber. In the other is sliced mango.

Vegetables: Steamed courgette and carrot sticks (left over from dinner). 

Please note: I'm no supermum. This isn't some Martha Stewart sugar coated b**!&$, I only share these lunch boxes because I find myself struggling for inspiration and need quick easy ideas after working all day. When I get a combo that is quick and easy, I share. Come hell or high water, this kid needs a lunch in his bag the next day. Sometimes it's just a marmite sandwich and fruit... and he loves it all the same, but I hope this helps to inspire others who are trying to cram as much variety into their kids as

possible too. 

I find that if you prepare the lunch during dinner prep it is much faster. The steamer is often on, throw in some veges, throw some pasta in the boiling water, get some rice in the rice cooker, chop up some veges and fruit.. before you know it you have a smorgasbord ready for your kid. One less thing to do in the morning. 

Goodnight. 

one.

And there you have it. A one year old. Happy Birthday little bear. 

xx

Reflection.

In a few days I will wake up to a one year old Son.

The light and love this kid has brought into our lives is too much for words. I've been taken aback, gobsmacked, in awe at just how much you can love one little tiny human.

I never considered myself a maternal person. I never had a dream to be a Mother. I didn't feel it was my calling. I didn't ache to hold a tiny newborn, or get all gooey over that newborn baby smell. In fact I didn't even know how to hold a newborn, let alone care for one! I was personally terrified about being a Mother. The responsibility, expectation... all of it. I just couldn't picture myself as that person. As a Mother. The only thing I new was that I loved my other half, and together we would have a family. Don't get me wrong. I wanted children,  I just was never sure if I was ready. Mr D was ready well before I was I think, and I managed to find excuses as to why 'now was not a good time'.

So jump forward 9 or 10 months. I'd obviously given in and decided I was ready.

If you have sound - please play this song while you read... it might make my words more meaningful and disguise the fact that what I'm about to say isn't written how I want it to be. I'm struggling with words. 

I remember lying in my bed (with heartburn) in those last final days before he made his way into the world. I'm not sure if it was the heartburn keeping me awake at night or the toilet stops, or more so my anxieties. What kind of Mother would I be? Would my child love me? Am I enough for him? Am I ready for this? I remember vividly lying there, and struggling to picture this 'bump' in my arms. I was so stressed that I wouldn't love him properly (I know, I'm ridiculous), and he would feel that I didn't know what I was doing and I'd let him down somehow.

Well, ready or not, he made his way into the world after 8 hours of labour on the 8th of the 8th, 2012.

Floating in the birthing pool at 4.00am (pre-delivery) listening to the song above - Always Waiting.
This song will forever in my heart be mine and Arthur's. His Dadda was sleeping on the floor of the birthing suite, as I floated in the pool rubbing my bursting, tight belly, breathing through contractions, keeping a raft of emotions at bay. Anxiety, excitement, exhaustion, pain...

How perfect were the lyrics to our song;

My soul is yawning, and I'm longing too. 
Seen my day tiring, seen me breaking through
My time is coming soon
So I'm waiting
I'll be waiting for you, my friend. 

And so, with a babe in my arms at 10.35am, my world was complete. We became a family and I was forever changed. I have a greater level of patience and compassion. I stop to notice the world's beauty I so often overlooked. I have a new appreciation and understanding of innocence. I have responsibilities, challenges and no more sleep ins.

But overall I have love. I don't even care that this post is sickeningly gushy. I'm not even sorry if you vomited in your mouth a little bit, or think that I'm embarrassing. I have a feeling I've surprised those closest to me with just how I've taken to this role. I've surprised myself, that's for sure. I'm far from a perfect Mother. That doesn't exist. I have faults and flaws, but Arthur forgives me. He knows nothing else.

That, my friends, is what they call unconditional love.

Minutes after entering the world, all scrunched up. I'm exhausted, but so content. "We made it little bear...we made it."

I remember this as if it were yesterday. I can still feel the moment they placed him on my chest. A year on, when he places his head on my chest, I'm still taken back to this. I think that's why I melt, every time. 

And then his Daddy got a hold. He dressed him for the very first time and held him and held him and held him. 

I loved that day.

So there it is in a nutshell. My personal reflection of (nearly) a year as a Mother. 

Flippin' fantastic frittatas

These litttle frits are an excellent addition to the lunchbox. I store them in the fridge, or freezer (and pull them out the day before). They are great for dinner too... anytime really. Also not too bad to snack on yourself as you're racing around trying to clean a kitchen, feed a kid, hang out washing... that sort of thing.

There's nothing revolutionary about the recipe or a frittata and most of you probably already know how to make these. Given my level of cooking ability, I've found this an excellent addition to my finger food repertoire. Throw in any vegetables you have on hand. I always steam them first to soften them. If we're having a casserole, there's nothing stopping you from taking a little bit of that and throwing it in too.. anything goes. Apart from fruit. That might not work.