Melon Cauli (by the Smashing Pumpkins) - a 10 / 10 thread, all welcome

[FrannyandZooey]

For anyone who wants a boost to their general health. The suggested goals are:

EAT 10 PORTIONS OF FRUIT AND VEGETABLES EVERY DAY - if you don't usually eat much fruit and veg I would build up gradually or you could upset your digestion.

DO (AT LEAST) 10 MINUTES OF EXERCISE EVERY DAY - can be yoga, stretching or something more energetic. The plan is that the idea of doing 10 minutes is not too daunting, and having started you may well find you want to do more.

There are no restrictions on what you eat so long as you get your 10 fruit and veg as well. The focus is not on weight loss but on improving our energy levels and hopefully our general mood and well-being. Sign up below and post here to tell us how you're getting on and how you are feeling.

Basic guidance on what constitutes a portion of fruit and veg here and you can download more detailed information by following the link at the very bottom of the page

Hmm, yes, exercise is the thing. I walk a lot but that is about it. Hard to do with dc's, though. I suppose Lo is old enough for me to go to the gym in the evening, but, I need discipline, and motivation. By 8pm I am shattered.

Lionhart - I had a wonderful time. I am missing my friend very much, it seems so far, especially if I can't just jump on a plane with F's ears. The shows were great, atmosphere amazing, there was a book festival, break dancing in the street, carnivalesque ravey things. I am going again next year.

Tomorrow we are going to Stiffkey to pick samphire. Dd wants to, she loves seaweed.

Toot - Thanks for your e-mail. I do have questions but I will write them down tomorrow if that's ok.

I tried some counter-indoctrination on DS1 when he was little too, avi.

I bought him a little pram and dolly.

When he saw it his face lit up. But then all he did was fling the dolly out, turn the pram upside-down and play with the wheels for an hour.

So much for a feminist subversion of gender stereoypes.

I've only been to there once, MrsC, at New Year. I wanted to go on one of those ghosty tours of the grim historical places. I liked the city a lot.

Glad you had such fun.

ds once got hold of a barbie, pulled the legs at a ninety degree angle and 'fired' it like a gun. Part of me was please. The other part was like, why does it have to be a gun?

I'm not sure my attempts to bend or unbend things have made too much difference, avi.

After the thing with the pram I thought I'd let him lead a bit more . He is pretty boyish, (ball-games, wheels, fighting, and general rumbustiousness)

but also a sensitive soul with a penchant for nail-varnish (he spends a lot of time with his girl cousins who seem to think of him as their doll).

MrsC, that is a bloody good use of a barbie.

He is 5.9, avi. He is getting more aware of girl and boy segregation now that he has started school, which is what I thought would happen.

He is exactly the same age as my DD. Is his birthday November then?

Yes, he is coming up for 6 and has had his year in reception.

I wonder if 10/10 would be easier to do in America, in the sun.

Oh avi I get what you mean.

We found that because ds is stuck at home most of the day with a load of women (most of our friends have the man at work and the woman at home), anything he saw a man do was incredibly formative. And what do young boys see men doing, during their normal week? Driving diggers, driving buses, working on building sites, playing sport, being police officers or firefighters, etc etc. We simply don't see many other men. I don't think it is so much biological, as cultural, and lack of a variety of role models. We have been lucky in that ds has seen a male busker a lot, so we have had lots of singing and guitar playing, plus he saw a male dancer in the park once, so we had a dancing phase. I think you have to twiddle things a bit, if you can. The same goes for girls of course - they should see women being active and sporty, and in positions of responsibility and all that.

I've eaten a mango [swoon], some raisins, blueberries, and melon

Off in a bit to coach sports to people in nappies

OK, what is it basically that you object to about it, and does dp not take you seriously because he disagrees that his actions are having an effect, or because he thinks the effect is ok and not a problem?

"does not believe that it will have any lasting effect"

what does he think we are all DOING every day?

Hello all,

Great thread title btw. Hope you're feeling more cheerful Franny.

MrsC, know what you mean about bfing and being hungry al the time, but it is for carbs, always. Got loads of weight to lose about 3 stone .

Didn't check in last night, as was at A&E with DS, DD dropped a basket (by accident in a nappy changing incident) on his head and gouged out a bit of skin, he screamed for ages, and so I went to get him checked out. he is fine - phew, but I was a bit worried at the time.

Anyway too exhausted to post last night by the time it was all over

Oh, I see avi, diggers and aeroplanes.

So it's not just a general attempt to counteract sexism but much more specific and also about getting your ds (or DH) to do lots of different things.

Is that right? I didn't realise your ds was so little.