A Weighty Post

I think it has been way over 10 years since I last weighted in at my current weight. Thanks to a week of 'chicken pox', I 'lost' 2 kilos, pushing my weight below that I haven't seen in a long, long, time.

I am tall so I got away with carrying excess weight around, but my 'BMI' was always just over the 'normal, healthy weight range'. I am now in my healthy weight range, with a couple of points to spare. Yippee.

Six years ago I lost a hefty 17 kilos over a three month period. I did it by myself, by watching what I ate (I aimed to have 30g of fat intake a day) and walking most days the 3 kilometres to work and back. On the days I didn't walk to work, I walked around Melbourne's Albert Park Lake. The weight practically dropped off.

But over the course of 3 years the weight started to slowly come back on. I had stopped walking (because we moved away from the Lake and from my work), but I did still watch what my fat intake was, though probably not as closely as what I should have.

When I fell pregnant, I put on 16 kilos - and it wasn't just all baby. But after I had Monet the weight fell off, literally, and I lost 25 kilos in less than 6 months. I have hoovered around the same weight now for over two years. I figure this is my destined weight. I drink and eat, go on walks and maintain the same weight.

Since New Years Day, to this current day, I have lost 5 kilos without even trying. I love that.

So maybe what I thought was my destined weight, isn't my destined weight after all.

The Return of biglittlesister....

Thank you everyone for your kind words during my illness. Don't think they went by unnoticed.

So, I don't know who I should 'thank' the most. Monet or my parents?

Monet, during my time feeling rather poorly, you were a wonderful grandchild, entertaining your Grandad and Grandma (who used to be called Nanma, but over the course of the week, Nanma turned into Grandma!). You were fantastic, especially during the days when I couldn't lift my head off my pillow and I slept practically all day. You knew I was suffering from 'headaches' and I hardly heard you. You behaved so well by all (or most) accounts. I thank you.

And mum and dad? Well, I would've been lost last week without you being there. So would have Monet. You know what you did for me and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Just being there for Monet's sake means heaps. Don't think it was unappreciated. You know I did. I'm sorry your holiday turned into a weeks babysitting but I know that you both didn't really mind. Thank you for everything. Everything.

I'm just about back to my normal self now. I am well rested and looking better than this time last week (and two kilos lighter!) I didn't know someone could sleep and dream as much as I did! My headache from hell (boy, was it from hell or what?) was fixed overnight by a prescription painkiller. I honestly don't know how people get addicted to those pills? They left me feeling nauseated and dizzy beyond belief. My 'pox' have all but disappeared. Phew.

It's times like those that you forget how important your health is. Be thankful that you are healthy. Being poorly is terrible. I was also pretty thankful it was me and not my daughter.

Stay tuned for more *regular* posts. Thanks everyone.

So you remember how I had that migraine....

...it was actually the start of something different altogether.

Chicken Pox. Yep, you read right. I'm 34 and have Chicken Pox.

I'm not well, with a nagging headache, a sore hairline, a sore throat and itchy blistering welts that cover my body. URGH!!!

Adult bloody chicken pox, was the diagnosis this morning at the doctors.

Great.

Lucky for me, my parents arrived yesterday for their planned 9 day holiday, so they are looking after Monet for me. They're currently at the Playground.

I woke up on Saturday morning feeling like I had a big hangover, yet I hadn't touched any alcohol since Wednesday. Yesterday morning I woke to an assortment of welts on my torso, arms and hands. This morning I woke to them reaching from my scalp to me knees. I look revolting. I feel terrible.

I hope to feel better soon. I want to get back into the 'swing' of things.

Keeping Everyone Happy?

Kids love playgrounds, don't they?

And their mother's love taking photos of their children playing in playgrounds...

We parents especially love good, safe, enclosed playgrounds when they are in the section of an open-aired pub. Playgrounds in pubs are quite common in this corner of the world and I'm still trying to figure out if that's a good thing or a bad thing... Hmmm?

I must note here, that Pubs in Queensland are basically cigarette-smoke free. There is usually one area which smokers can puff away on their cancer sticks, but no food is to be consumed in that area. All areas indoors are smoke-free.

Choc, Apricot & Almond Slice

Having bought the oats to make the previous recipe of Anzac Biscuits, I looked around for other 'oat' recipes. This one comes from the pages of 'Woman's Day' - top, quality magazine (tongue in cheek there). Not the best slice I've ever made, but still nice all the same.

Ingredients

125g butter, chopped

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 tbs golden syrup

2 cups rolled oats

100g milk chocolate, finely chopped (or use choc chips)

1/2 cup SR flour

1/2 cup chopped dried apricots

1/3 cup slivered almonds

Method

Preheat oven to moderately slow, 160C. Lightly grease and line an 18 x 28cm slice pan.

Combine butter, sugar and golden syrup in a medium pan. Stir over low heat for 4-5 minutes, until sugar dissolves.

Transfer butter mixture to a large bowl. Add oats, chocolate, flour, apricots and almonds. Mix well.

Press mixture firmly into prepared pan. Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until golden.

Once slice is cold, cut into serving size pieces and store in an airtight container.

Makes about 20

Morning Antics of a Little Cutie

I have been feeling a little under the weather this morning (and last night), but I am beginning to feel better, thanks to the codeine pills given to me by my pharmacist. *hehe* Monet's been a very girl girl this morning whilst her mother dealt with her slight migraine which has practically disappeared. *phew*

Monet came into my room this morning whilst I lay in bed.

"Mummy just wants to lie in bed a little longer this morning, okay?"

Out she walked into the living area (our bedroom has double sliding doors which lead out into this area). I heard her sit on her Dora beanbag and she was busily chatting away to Pickles, her teddy. (She didn't even turn on the television!!)

As I dozed I heard her in the kitchen. She then came back into my room, holding up one of her bowls, one of her spoons and a box of All-Bran cereal, which Lyndon would have left out on the bench before he went to work at 6am. She wanted some.

"Remember you have tried that before and you don't like it", I reminded her.

Out of the room she disappeared, taking with her the box of cereal, her bowl and her matching spoon.

I got out of bed about 10 minutes later, entered the living area and saw this...

...and laughed. A lot. I had too.

Very apologetically, she said "Sorry Mum". I was too busy giggling and taking photos to care. I even forgot about my headache for a mere second!

We both sat on the lounge and had a yogurt each. Monet is very much 'into' yogurt at the moment. Thanks to the marketing skills at Nestle and Dairy Farmers, Monet has each morning a 'Hi-5' yogurt, or a 'Princess' yogurt or a 'Dora' yogurt or a 'Happy Feet' yogurt.

10 minutes later she did this...

Must be good for the skin. I know it must have felt nice because she kept on doing putting it onto her legs.

It wasn't till a while later when I went to one of the utensil drawers in my kitchen that I saw this...

Life with a two and a half year old can be very amusing. Even with a migraine.

Prune Feet.

Do you think someone has been in the pool for far too long?

We're trying to make a deal with Monet, that when her feet become all prune-like, it's time to get out of the water. Well, the dealing hasn't worked yet. I usually have to bribe her with the promise of a little special treat or otherwise she'd be in there all day. I mean it. All day. If she could, she would.

We usually play/swim/paddle in the pool for a good half hour at a time, though I reckon yesterday it boarded on an hour. People in the apartment came and went, some just doing a lap or two and then quickly getting out. It's a big pool, not huge by any means, but big enough to share with other apartment dwellers. I don't see the point of jumping in for a one minute lap and getting straight out. But then, that's me.

Ohh, and can I tell you just how stunning the weather has turned? Pretty stunning. No wonder we are utilising the pool! *grin*

How about you? Do, or would you, go in the pool for a quick swim or for a decent wade until your feet and hands become prune-like, like us?

(Blogger not liking paragraphs today! Urgh!!)

Anzac Biscuits

These biscuits were made by the Australian mothers/sisters/wives of the 'diggers' of WW1, and sent over to them. Hence the name, Anzac Biscuits. They keep really well and are very delicious. For a cruncher biscuit, bake for a few minutes longer...

Ingredients

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup plain flour, sifted

1 cup caster sugar

1 cup desiccated coconut

125 g butter, chopped

1 tbs golden syrup

2 tbs boiling water

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Method

Preheat oven to moderately slow, 160C. Lightly grease (or line) 4 baking trays.

In a medium bowl, combine rolled oats, flour, sugar and coconut.

Combine the butter and golden syrup in a small pan. Stir over low heat for 2-3 minutes, until melted.

Combine water and soda in a small jug. Stir into warm butter mixture. Pour mixture into dry ingredients. Mix well.

Roll rounded teaspoons of mixture into balls. Arrange on prepared trays, leaving a space between each to allow for spreading. Press lightly to flatten.

Bake for around 15 minutes or until golden. Stand 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

makes approx. 36