Hello world

Firstly I think we need a drum roll because I've had my first commenter! Kirsten from Florida takes out that honour and thanks for saying such nice things. I couldn't have asked for any better even from my mum (who incidentally is the 2nd person to leave a comment.)

My blog really only went 'live' (or whatever the geeks call it) over the weekend. I have been writing blog posts since January when I had a totally dumb, stupid, and not user friendly blog that I won in a competition. I ditched that site after one too many frustrating contacts from their 'help desk' team (that phrase used very, very loosely) who were no doubt very knowledgeable but as they were all off-shore workers – getting paid about 3 peanuts per day, probably – their English and general communication skills could variously be described as 'patchy', 'laughable' and 'bloody awful'. In other words, no help at all. So although this particular company was Australian (technically, despite their offloading all the work onto poorer countries) and I do like to support a good Aussie, just to, you know, balance out the global juggernaut that is the USA; in this case it didn't work so I bailed both on the Aussies and on my principals. Ha! It's one of my strengths, I think: I'm good and flexible that way. Now I am with the Google powerhouse and it's fun and user friendly for a non-geek such as myself and I think I'm gonna like it.

If there are any Americans reading my blog (apart from Kirsten) who might take offence at the above paragraph, please don't; I don't mean to dis your very fine country and it's not your fault that George Dubya was ever born (good grief, look at the smarmy amphibian we've voted in: I'm hardly in a position to chuck stones!) but it's just that lately I (and several thousand others) have tended to notice just a teensy bit of cultural creepage happening from that part of the world that is sandwiched between Canada and South America. I accept that this is partly the fault of the people (i.e., me et al) who have thus far tended to more or less enthusiastically embrace everything American with nary a second thought. My gentle chiding of America, and my attempts to circumnavigate its dominance by using Australian where practical and possible, are merely a small and probably token effort to stem the tide of this creepage, and should in no way be construed as any criticism against individual people who live in America. (Except, of course, George Bush (both of 'em, in fact) who I'm sorry but I just can't bring myself to like, and also I’m not really fond of Julia Roberts either).

Whew. Where did that come from? I'm obviously feeling all apologetic and sensitive today. I could revert back to my usual blunt but loveable self: if anyone doesn't like reading this, then don't. Turn off the whole damn computer and go for a brisk walk instead, it'll do you a power of good.

Now. Back to the business of Anna. She has food issues already. (Actually, she's fine with food; I think it's definitely me that has the issues). The majority of my issues come from me lovingly cooking and mashing a whole lot of vegetables and then slowly but surely throwing them all away, in little teaspoon full increments. Anna will eat two or three mouthfuls, with a fairish bit of encouragement that I’m getting tired of doing already (I know, I have no staying power) and then I throw the rest out. It's discouraging. Especially given that she quite likes the shop bought muck-based baby food which all taste the same – cardboardish – and don't make me feel like a good and nurturing mum. And then even though I know that comparing babies is a sure fire slippery slope to parental gloom and despondency, even though I know this I do it anyway and I can't help but note that all the other babies at Mother's Group are happily scoffing their baby food by the bucket load and clamouring for more. One baby was even sampling the biscuits and dip! (and, tsk tsk, the potato chips and the choc chip bikkies but I won't say anything more because I remember that I am feeling sensitive and non-judgemental today. Apparently.)

Anyway, I thought, I'm over the baby mush, Anna is obviously over it too (she does like to chew the bowl and the spoon, which is encouraging) so yesterday she had finger food for the first time – tuna, egg yolk and some bread crusts. What a success! As long as you don't count her actually eating the food as the marker of success (in which case it was a bit of a failure because I'm pretty sure that not much actually went down her throat). But it was fun, and lots of the food went into her mouth which is fairly close to her stomach – the fact that it came back out again is a mere technicality – and I also managed to sneak in a few mouthfuls of mush while she was preoccupied. So now I am embracing the concept of true 'together' meals and am busily menu planning and getting excited about tinned spaghetti and vegemite toast and two minute noodles in ways that are probably all out of proportion, if not downright unhealthy.

It's only one small step until I buy an overpriced 'cooking for your toddler' cookbook written by some celebrity chef who is either childless or has employed a nanny since day one, and then – oh! And then! – then I will be throwing away artfully served and cleverly garnished food by the plateful instead.