What's the time rule for bins?

I don't pay that much attention to germs.

I know that I should. I know that good hygiene is a big part of not getting sick, perhaps the most important thing. But unless I or the kids have touched something really bad (i.e., poo), I often forget handwashes. Like, nearly always often. And when I remember, well, it's usually too late. The kids are already eating their dinner with dirty hands. Sometimes visibly dirty hands.

And that 3-second rule for food that's fallen on the floor? Not followed here. Unless the food looks unpalatable (stepped on, dessicated or mouldy), back it goes on the plate.

This is not a recent development. Hearing the "for the first child, we religiously sterilized everything five times a day; by the third we took the dummy out of the dog's mouth and popped it straight in the kid's mouth" thing, I figured well, why bother sterilizing with the first child then?

Because the thing is, even apart from the theory that being too hygienic is leading to different kinds of illnesses, I just can't believe that our regular standards are so bad. I did boil/dishwasher both Téo and Lukan's bottles and dummies every now and again, but overall I couldn't see that soap and hot water would not do the job. Plus once they started putting everything in their mouths, I just couldn't believe the things in my house were germier than everything they were touching, sucking on and licking outside. Things like the black rubber around bus windows, for instance. And airports.

Plus we keep our floor clean! We don't wear shoes in the house! In fact, I am more concerned about not eating fallen food directly after the floors have been cleaned, because I don't like the idea of ingesting the chemicals in the cleaning products.

But tonight I went perhaps a bit too far.

I was on my own. The kids were hanging on to me, clamouring for food. I too was starving.

I was going as fast as I could. The meat was done, the veggies were nearly ready, I just had to heat up the fajitas.

Mah-mah mah-mah* screeched Lukan. Mummy I'm huuuunnnnggrryyyy whined Téo. I want to eat chicken fajitas!

I popped the two fajitas from the open packet into the frying pan, then went back to chopping capsicum. When I turned back to the fajitas, the bottom one was smoking.

Damn.

I tossed it into the bin (Mah-mah mah-mah! I want to eeeeaaattt!), cleaned the burnt bits off the pan (Mah-mah mah-mah! Mummy I want you to hurry up!), popped the second fajita back in (Mah-mah mah-mah! I want to eat nowwwww!), and went to the cupboard to get a new packet of fajitas.

There was no new packet of fajitas.

Damn damn damn.

Téo and I shared the first fajita (Lukan likes everything but the fajita). It wasn't enough.

I admit to being a bit frazzled. Lukan was still screeching mah-mah mah-mah** every minute or so, Téo was asking for more food, I was still very very hungry. And the idea of a fajita-less chicken fajita wasn't nearly as appetizing as a fajita-ed chicken fajita.

It's not like the garbage on top is actually dirty, I reasoned. It's stuff I threw away just before throwing away the burnt fajita. Plastic mostly.

So yes, I retrieved the fajita from the bin, scraped off the burnt bits, browned the other side, and shared it with Téo.

Mmmmmmm, full tummy.

But now that tummy is feeling a little rumbly. Perhaps I should pay a bit more attention to germs.

* More more... which he repeats whenever he wants something, starting with a polite tone but escalating to a screech if the demand is not met fast enough. I.e., immediately.

** Due to his habit of flinging food onto the floor, I only put a few pieces of food on his plate at a time. As soon as the last piece goes into his mouth he starts up with the mah-mah. Not very peaceful, but way less messy.

Truth in tales?

"Growing teeth does not cause a fever, diarrhoea, colds, coughs, ear infections, or nappy rash."

This is what my trusty, sensible Baby Love says.

"Maybe he's getting a tooth?"

This is what my trustworthy, sensible mother-in-law asks whenever Lukan has a fever.

Because of Baby Love, I have always replied that I don't think so.

But after seeing a new tooth emerging on Saturday after a night of inconsolable screaming followed by a day of high fever, and remembering that two new teeth emerged the day after the last time he screamed all night (and that his first two teeth appeared after another fever, although that time he had the flu, like me), I have to say: there's something in my mother-in-law's question.

Fear

I don't remember if it was my first time, but I think it must have been. Disneyland 1982. Space Mountain, The Matterhorn, and the newly opened Big Thunder. I rode these rollercoasters, and I wanted more.

Mum rode them with us, willingly but maybe not as eagerly. Years later at the Gold Coast's Dreamworld, she admitted to closing her eyes as one of the rollercoasters there looped upsidedown. I remember being incredulous. But mum, that's the best bit!

I'm pretty sure I laughed at her.

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Ever since I turned 30, I have noticed that I am getting more cautious. It's not a conscious decision, it's more like my body baulks at doing what I previously did without a thought. I don't like it. I hate feeling vertigo, or being outright too scared of doing things I once could do.

I also don't like the idea of being a mother who's too scared to either do things with her boys, or else who's saying be careful the whole time.

(I just went looking for a picture of the mountain track where I first felt vertigo, and found the following from 2003:

The second photo makes my skin crawl. I mean, can you SEE where I'm standing??? And I remember slipping here. SLIPPING. Plus this was nothing compared to climbing onto the rocks that made up the summit.)

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When my brother and his family were here, we went to ride the Alpine Coaster, a rollercoaster-like tobogan run on the glacier of Les Diablerets. We'd been there the year before with my aunt, when I was very pregnant, and I was looking forward to finally having a go.

I was scared from the start. There I was in a flimsy sled, on a flimsy track high above nothing, sure that if I took the curves too fast I'd tip myself and Téo out.

I crawled down.

All the time, while hating feeling scared but unable to overcome it, I was thinking Is this it then? The end of riding rollercoasters? The start of my kids laughing at me? Really? So soon?

And then Téo piped up. Mummy, why don't you go as fast as papa?

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I'm sorry for laughing at you mum. I think you were extremely brave to ride the rollercoasters with us over and over if you were scared.

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I almost didn't try again. I almost gave my tickets to the others, figuring they'd be better to use them since they'd enjoy the ride.

I'm so glad I didn't. Because the second time was much better. I felt safer, I went faster. The third time I went faster still. The fourth time I flew.

It was bloody brillant.

Friday morning playlist

12.45am Screamfest (Wake the house extended mix) Lukan (1:00:00)
1.15am I don't like my bed Téo (0:05:00)
1.45am Screamfest (Inconsolable mix) Lukan (0:15:00)
2.00am Technicolour burp Lukan (0:01:30)
2.15am I still don't like my bed Téo (0:05:00)
2.30am Everybody back in bed! Emma & Cédric (0:05:00)
3.34am Screamfest (Revival mix) Lukan (0:10:00)
3.44am Heaving sobs Lukan (0:05:00)
3.49am Screamfest Lukan (0:05:00)
3.54am Heaving sobs Lukan (0:05:00)
3.59am Screamfest Lukan (0:05:00)
4.04am Heaving sobs Lukan (0:05:00)
4.10am Prelude to a snore Cédric (0:00:30)
4.11am HISSSSSSS Emma (0:00:30)
5.46am Screamfest Lukan (0:10:00)
6.15am Screamfest Lukan (0:10:00)
7.00am Screamfest Lukan (0:10:00)
7.43am Happy chirping Lukan & Téo

Getting there

This morning:

This afternoon:

Come on over everyone, we can finally seat you in (extendable) comfort! (If not yet under attractive lighting.)

Crisis of confidence II

Over the weekend I posted a post about a lack of confidence I was feeling in my parenting abilities. I deleted it because it read as though my family being here was the problem. This was absolutely not the case - it was my reaction to Téo's behaviour while they were here and ongoing failure with toilet training that was the problem. I started to fix up the post, but since I am feeling better now it was even harder to articulate properly so I just deleted it. I'm very sorry for hurting my family's feelings.

So, go look at flickr and see what a lovely time we had (when I wasn't over-reacting about Téo).

Lotsa photos

So I've just spent the past 3 evenings uploading photos to flickr (what an exciting life I lead). It would be lovely if you took a look. And there's still more to come!