Happy 1st Birthday Mummies!

A little over one year ago I decided to take the plunge and join a Mother's Group. You might remember the high levels of anxiety I felt before I finally signed up to a group. Convinced I'd have to suffer through hours of sipping green-tea infusions, always having to dress in my Sunday finest and wear a full face of make-up just to join the ladies at the park, I was a nervous wreck by the time I made it to our first play-date.

Ok, so I might have sipped a few Flat Whites here and there (c'mon I love my coffee!) but overall I've had a delightful time getting to know approximately 35 other Mummies, watch our children develop and revisit places in Brisbane I'd forgotten existed since the day a small child was born, promptly attached itself to my breasts and called the shots in my life henceforth. 

To celebrate our special milestone and give ourselves a little pat on the back for surviving one year, we recently got together for a BBQ lunch and drinks in the park. Despite the rain, a great afternoon was had by all.

 

 

Here's to another year! 

Back to work

The time has come to pack away the bath robe and slippers, unpack the corporate suits and polish up my fancy shoes because this Mumma his heading back to the workforce. Eeeek!

I finished up at my previous job a little more than one year ago. I remember cleaning out my desk and handing over a pile of business cards to my replacement and thinking, 'Thank god I don't have to use these again.' The only cards I collect now are ones from close friends and family celebrating E's arrival and business cards from Day Cares where E is on the waiting list.

Since starting a "life of luxury" I haven't needed to worry about having enough change for the bus in the morning, or that my jackets were dry cleaned before a big meeting or what incorrect story The Courier Mail was going to write about my client.

Nope, the most I worried about in the past 13 months was made up of more important issues like is E feeding enough during the day so he'll sleep at night? Am I about to run out of nappies and what sunscreen should I buy a baby so I don't fill his precious skin with chemicals? Does he have enough to keep him interested during the day? What should I make us for lunch? Etc... etc... The pressure may not be as high, but it's pressure nonetheless. Now I have to find a way to answer both. Correctly. First time. Every time. Obviously.

As this week rolls on and the first day of my new job gets closer my excitement for getting back into my career is slowly turning into panic. Not only will I start a new job in a new corporate environment, but all my work clothes resemble a tent an elephant would wear - a very faded and ugly tent thanks to the behemoth I was during pregnancy (not that there's anything wrong with that), AND I have to get E organised and ready to start Day Care in as many days. Two whammies on one day. I don't do things by halves do I?

Do I give in to these feelings of anxiousness and fear of getting back on the corporate treadmill after the longest break in my career to date, or do I focus on getting my darling boy through his first day (and week) away from home without Mum? 

I keep thinking, he'll be all alone in the big bad world with only his cute chubby smile to defend him? Yes, I'm completely overreacting, of course he's got cute chubby arms and legs that pack a mighty punch too, but you know what I mean.

The longest I've left E since he was born is 5 hours. Even then I was a prisoner of my own sweat-drenched panic because I was convinced he was having a melt down without me there to provide comfort (i.e. boobs) and I would regret going shopping with my girlfriends instantly.

Of course I got home, E was sound asleep and Teach didn't even realise five hours had passed. My emotional state was completely over the top and a result of me not learning to let go and have someone else - his very capable Daddy no less - look after him.

If that's what I was like six months ago, I'd hate to think what I'll be like after E's first eight hours in Day Care with a random stranger! Most probably hiding in the corner of the house, rocking back and forth in the arm chair with my arms wrapped firmly around E staring off in to the distance chantting, 'there's no place like home, there's no place like home.' 

Actually, that's reminded me, I need to get to the bottleo and stock up on a few good bottles of Red. This Mumma's gonna need it!

How To Be A Domestic God-Awful-Mess

What do Nigella Lawson, a White Chocolate, Coconut & Raspberry slice and I have in common? Other than we were all in my kitchen at the one time (one of Nigella's books that is, not the fabulous woman herself), absolutely nothing!

This mind-blowing discovery dawned on me last week when I was elbow deep in melted butter, white chocolate and descicated coconut, holding E in one hand while trying to pour the mixture into a slice pan with the other. As I attempted to spread it evenly across the pan, backwards and almost upside down, the mixture dripped down my arm and across the stylish pages of Nigella's classic cookbook How to be a Domestic Goddess.

'Sorry love.' I kept saying to her as more and more mixture fell on the book instead of the pan. 'It's all I can manage I'm afraid.'

I was working hard to create the tasty treat for our weekly Mother's Group get together, but I should have known when moths flew out of the open (and very old) Self-Raising Flour bag that my attempt to emulate Ms Lawson and wow all the other Yummy Mummy's with my home made decadent slice would not be a success.

It started a few hours earlier when I'd finally decided I'd attempt to make something. The slice seemed like the easiest option because I had most of the ingredients in the cupboard, sans white chocolate, but I knew I could duck into Coles quickly on the way home from taking Teach to school and have it ready for the 11.30am catch up. Easy.


After waking E from his comfy car slumber to race in and buy said chocolate, then wrestling him back in the car seat - all while singing 'Doin' It' by the lovely Justine Clarke so he'd grin along with me and forget I was pulling him from pillar to post - we arrived home with just enough time to get the ingredients mixed, in the pan, baked, then out the door again. Ok...Go!

I don't know what came over me or why I was so determined to make something. Anything. I wanted it to be interesting, a little different, yet completely delicious and satisfying. If the ladies uttered the words 'Bloody Marvellous' I wouldn't have been disappointed. But baking only makes me crumble under the pressure.

My last two attempts at baking desserts were miserable. I left the kitchen leaving a trail of nutt-meggy baking powder fluff in my wake. One cake sunk so much in the middle it could have passed as my Year Nine Geography Volcano Experiment.

This time though, I read the recipe several times before I started. I had everything pre-measured, weighed and ready on the kitchen counter, E was happily playing with his new truck in the living room and Nigella by my side.

'You can do this.' I said to myself. Hang on. What page number was it on again? D'oh!

After what felt like an eternity looking for the recipe (which was starting to induce a skin-of-the-teeth panic in me), my preparation went out the window when E decided he must sit between my legs, play with my toes and whinge if I moved my feet. The butter had melted so much in the microwave it was now boiling and the white chocolate had formed into a hard sludge in the pan. Bugger. Poo. Wee. 

Why can't I ever bake anything? 

I picked E up off the floor and was determined to start again. 11.30am start time be damned. I was NOT going to let a five step recipe beat me.

COME ON!

I managed to scrape all the ingredients together again, get it in the pan and bake it before we had to haul ourselves across town. The thought of showering and dressing up for the occassion had me spinning too, but we got there in the end.

E and I arrived dazzling, fresh faced, smiling and slice in hand. Eventually.

'Hi Sian. Hi E. Wow, did you bake that?' Our host asked. 'It looks lovely.'

'Thank you, yes.' I replied and looked down to see the gladwrap had started to melt over the still-warm slice. 

Not thinking, I had just picked up the original baking pan, wrapped it up and ran to the car. I didn't even put the slice on a serving plate. SHIT!

I asked our host for a dish to serve up the slice and walked away from the kitchen thinking, 'That'll do Donkey. That'll do.'

Shopping aint what she use to be!

Shopping has always been enjoyable for me. Ever since I earnt my first pay packet, the first thing I do is decide which clothes I have to have then race out and get 'em. It seems money burns a massive hole in my pocket and if I don't spend it immediately it'll vanish. Because of this, clothing became my drug. The more I had, the more I wanted. It was mine, mine, ALL MINE (insert evil laugh here)!

Reviews for Brisbane Mummas

As many of you know I joined a Brisbane mothers' group a while back. It's for professional women on maternity leave in 2011 and I'm LOVING it - and not just because I know many of them read this blog!

E and I really look forward to our weekly catch-ups, getting to know other new Mums and their gorgeous tots, sharing our experiences plus having a few old fashion belly laughs for good measure.

Each week we plan to meet in a new cafe, park, movie theatre or sometimes even a member's home in order to get out and about across our lovely city. The coversation almost always turns into one of 'will it be practical for a large group of Mums with Bubs?' 'Can we all fit?' 'Where do we park?' And so on....

This common conundrum got me thinking - why isn't there something online that helps Mums out? There are hundreds (if not thousands) of groups meeting each week somewhere across Brissy and I'm sure they all have the same question, 'Where is the most convenient and baby friendly place to meet?' Even if you're not part of a group, I'm sure you'd like to know more about a cafe, park or shopping centre before carting the baby/kids along only to find you can't fit the pram in, you have to walk miles from your car and it's not child friendly at all!

So I've decided to put my former Tourism PR hat back on and help Brisbane Mums out. Each week I will take it upon myself to visit a new cafe, park, library, movie theatre, gallery, shopping centre etc..., etc... across Brisbane and give it an honest motherly review.

Bubs in Brissie will rate the location's parking options, child-friendly environments, nappy changing facilities/general amenities, playground equipment (if applicable) and most importantly the coffee and cake! I'm sure it'll be bloody hard work but I'm willing to take one for the team in an effort to preserve your sanity.

Now, where should I go first? Where is your favourite spot for an outing?

Check back here on Friday (29 July) for the first "Mummas & The City" review.