Breakfast used to be my favourite meal of the
day. It gathered the family together, required minimum preparation (or
creativity) and usually pleased everybody. It was somehow a peaceful ritual to
start the new day. Since some months ago my 2 years old daughter no longer
shares the same idea. The first argument still holds - the family is still
gathered together, but the rest is long gone memory. Creativity (along with
patience) have become the only seriously valuable currencies in this market: NO
to porridge, NO to sandwich, NO to müsli, NO to pancakes (?!). Her ideal regime
would include only and solemnly dried cranberries. Or raisins at the most. So
what. It's not so serious I promised some time ago to myself. I got yet a
recent and concrete reminder of this. Sunday morning at breakfast table, we're
alone with my daughter and suddenly I breath in a piece of my muesli: coughing,
fear and yet in the evening I was sure there was a peace left stuck somewhere
in the tubes..In consequence I spent the next day in the emergency unit to do
x-rays of my lungs. Sitting in the emergency waiting room can be an
enlightening experience: the old lady crying next to her motionless husband's
bed, the worried mother with a baby in high fever, the young man who didn't
have any insurance and could not pay the account for treatment (shocking that
this is happening in our "welfare" Europe?) I felt suddenly so sorry
for all those people! We have had a somewhat rough path in my little family,
but it's nothing! There are so much (more) goodness also around us! The
wonderful friends treating us with delicious meals, weekends at the sea or
encouraging emails, the neighbour stopping unannounced with a hot soup, the
other one offering to do the groceries. The list could go on and on. Life is
beautiful and cranberries and raisins are a great option for breakfast (if
eaten peacefully).
Tuesday, 13 March 2012
Thursday, 26 January 2012
New Year's Promise
Dear All,
HAPPY, HEALTHY and FULFILLED NEW YEAR 2012!
The new year started with many wonderful 'Firsts' for my daughter: first road-trip up North to visit Santa Claus Himself, kiss to a (real) rain deer, welding of a horse shoe predicting the new year (yes, it is a tradition) and traveling by train.. Talk about the amazement of an almost 2 -year old! At least as surprised, I realized I had to convince her of the fun of rushing downhill with a snow sleigh, making snow angels or building a snow man..By the end of the week we were finally both enjoying:)
She was not the only one discovering new things either. Apparently the many years abroad have left me with some worrying gaps in my general knowledge about how to live this life (the right way). Did YOU know that:
- It is no longer enough that your child covers her mouth with her hand when coughing? She should be covering it with her elbow of course! (to avoid seriously the share of microbes)
- BIO food is dangerous (because it probably contains un-tested toxins that will harm your health)
- Eating vegetarian will very likely make even your child's growth curve slow down (even if you give them a steak twice a week)
-Yogurts should be forbidden, lunches must be served hot and heavy, milk with vitamin D is the only proper drink for a toddler and vitamin C is THE remedy for all illness!
I felt the responsibility of making smart decisions weighing heavy on my shoulders. Made me also wonder of all the other vital pieces of information I am still left out..How will we survive?
Some weeks later I was back home visiting our neighbourhood boulangerie with my little daughter. As we were leaving, the lady suddenly opened a drawer and - before I could take a breath - took a huge, beautiful bright blue artificial lollipop glowing of e-items and stack it to my daughters delighted mouth. I blushed and muttered: "Oh, indeed, great, there goes her first lolly..!". The lady looked at me puzzled: "But it's not so serious Madame".
I realized from this moment onwards it was NOT going to be all so serious ! Who cares! Where's the FUN! Think of us, kids of the wild 70's: How many e-filled candies have we eaten? How many toys coming fresh from Chinese factories? And yet we turned out so perfect !
New Year's promise? Let's take it laid back..
HAPPY, HEALTHY and FULFILLED NEW YEAR 2012!
The new year started with many wonderful 'Firsts' for my daughter: first road-trip up North to visit Santa Claus Himself, kiss to a (real) rain deer, welding of a horse shoe predicting the new year (yes, it is a tradition) and traveling by train.. Talk about the amazement of an almost 2 -year old! At least as surprised, I realized I had to convince her of the fun of rushing downhill with a snow sleigh, making snow angels or building a snow man..By the end of the week we were finally both enjoying:)
She was not the only one discovering new things either. Apparently the many years abroad have left me with some worrying gaps in my general knowledge about how to live this life (the right way). Did YOU know that:
- It is no longer enough that your child covers her mouth with her hand when coughing? She should be covering it with her elbow of course! (to avoid seriously the share of microbes)
- BIO food is dangerous (because it probably contains un-tested toxins that will harm your health)
- Eating vegetarian will very likely make even your child's growth curve slow down (even if you give them a steak twice a week)
-Yogurts should be forbidden, lunches must be served hot and heavy, milk with vitamin D is the only proper drink for a toddler and vitamin C is THE remedy for all illness!
I felt the responsibility of making smart decisions weighing heavy on my shoulders. Made me also wonder of all the other vital pieces of information I am still left out..How will we survive?
Some weeks later I was back home visiting our neighbourhood boulangerie with my little daughter. As we were leaving, the lady suddenly opened a drawer and - before I could take a breath - took a huge, beautiful bright blue artificial lollipop glowing of e-items and stack it to my daughters delighted mouth. I blushed and muttered: "Oh, indeed, great, there goes her first lolly..!". The lady looked at me puzzled: "But it's not so serious Madame".
I realized from this moment onwards it was NOT going to be all so serious ! Who cares! Where's the FUN! Think of us, kids of the wild 70's: How many e-filled candies have we eaten? How many toys coming fresh from Chinese factories? And yet we turned out so perfect !
New Year's promise? Let's take it laid back..
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)