She had a pen.  It had rainbows all over it. And so she painted the sky with colour.  Sometimes, it’s good to stop, and watch.  To see how these little ones interact with the world around them.

I sat in a neat meeting room, sipping the juice directly from a coconut while listening to the local doctor share about the success of the hospital and surrounding 7 clinics in the Nan district.

The implementation of the Save the Children Primary Health Care project in this district, servicing 54 villages with over 5,500 families, has seen a steady decline in both infant and maternal deaths, plus a dramatic increase in access to basic sanitary like water and toilet facilities.

I’ll throw a few stats out here.  Since the Maternal and Child Health Clinic was built in 2007, there’s been a steady decline in maternal deaths, from 450 to zero in 2012, and the infant death rate reduced over 60% in this time period.  Currently 97% of families have access to clean water, an increase from 40%; 96% have toilets and 97% have access to health care.

Maternal and Child Health Clinic, Hub of the Nan District

This, THIS is what we are cycling for.

As I absorbed information throughout the day, one thing kept jumping out at me as to why this project is such a success.  Trust. Building on trust.  There was a small hospital facility here before Save the Children started this project is 2007, but very few people came.  There were “lots of problems” Doctor Hong Chanh said: no equipment; not enough support and training. “It wasn’t nice,” someone said. People didn’t use the service.  They didn’t trust the service.

Intentional investment, built on trust, has turned this project into a life saving, life changing success.  And Carol Perks. I have to mention Carol here.  Originally from Melbourne, Carol answered an ad in paper for a 2 year placement in Laos and is still here 21 years later.  I see Carol as the driving force behind implementing this project and after meeting her, I can see why.  She has a heart for these people; she has built relationships with these people; she’s poured her skills as a midwife into systems that make (so much) sense.

The hospital is the hub to 7 district clinics and the team visited one of these clinics in the hot afternoon.  I was excited to see the clinic because this is where the money, raised by our cycle team, will go towards: building another clinic just like this one below.

Pictured below: Clinic Staff & Carol

 This clinic provides care for 4 villages (358 families), and is a huge success with 100% of pregnant women receiving antenatal care from the midwife pictured there in the center. Again, the word trust came out in conversations.  Nice clean and neat facility with basic equipment and medicines; a network of support from the hub hospital; plus a staff member who has built trust with the people, equals: people come; they use the facility and health outcomes (especially for women and children) improve.

I can’t go into detail here about all the systems that are in place to make this project both successful and sustainable, but I will show one thing: this is a basic, but in my mind, utterly BRILLIANT record keeping system for reporting.   The poster sized simple mud map is broken into 4 sections to represent the 4 villages this clinic services.  Then a key is used to record each birth, how it was conducted, and every death.  As you can see, there have been no infant or maternal deaths in these 4 villages for the specified time period.

1. Child born with midwife / doctor

2. Child born with trained birth attendant

3. Child born with no assistance

4. Child death under 1 year

5. Child death 1 – 5 years

6. Maternal death

7. Elderly person death

These are the often untold stories that need to be told: People with big hearts doing great things by helping where and how they can.  That’s the challenge.

Have you ever wondered why Bobby Pins are called Bobby Pins?  I hadn’t given it much thought until working down my list of things to pack for my trip to Laos for the Save the Children Mother’s Day Cycle Challenge.   Well, now I know: The name stems from the use of such pins to hold the 1920′s bob cut hairstyle…which is totally unrelated to this post.  Maybe I wanted to start with something trivial because it’s been tough getting to this point.

Last night, I cried.  After a huge week, I didn’t feel like I could do it all, everything from organising food and washing, to getting the house sorted and my own personal packing.  After the younger kids were in bed, I sat, feeling defeated.  On top of it all, I carry the joyous burden of being a mother. I miss the kids when I go away, I worry, and the work it takes to make something like this happen…is…a mammoth job.

I think I may have said something along the lines of, “I don’t want to go.”  Maybe to myself. And my eldest daughter came up behind me and lay a hand on my shoulder.  She said, “Mum, I want you to go.  You’ve been training so hard and it would be a shame if you didn’t go and do this.”  She went on to tell me how proud she was of me.  Right now, I can’t think of anything more beautiful than the words of my daughter encouraging me.  To have her confidence, to see her pride in me, is something I will never, ever take for granted.

So I had my mini-meltdown, and then rested and regrouped.  The morning came, as it does, and everything seemed a little brighter. I threw myself into it and here I am, ready to go. Still a little apprehensive, but that’s normal for me.

Packing

I like to lay things out in piles as I pack so I can see clearly what I have.

(In my) Suitcase

Pillow slip & a sheet (handy for remote places)

Shoes

Camera Bag

Everyday clothes

Cycling clothes

Cycling gear

Shoes (sneakers & 2 pairs of mox shoes — awesome for travelling)

Socks

Scarfs

Underwear

Sleepwear

Spare zip-lock bags

Make-up

Toiletries

Medicines

Power cord adaptor (for relevant country)

Toiletries

Toothbrush

Toothpaste

Soap

Norwex face clothes

Dry shampoo

Shampoo

Razor

Make-up

Face moisturiser cream

BB cream (Clarins)

Pressed powder

Lip gloss

Mascara

Pot of bronzer/eyeshadow

(In my) Backpack

Small laptop

purse

Money wallet

Travel documents

Book

iPhone

Borne Naked Clear Mini bag

Papaw ointment

Sunscreen

Brush

Hair ties

Bobby Pins

Sunglasses

Lip gloss

Tissues

Hand sanitizer

Deodorant

Medicine (pain relief, anti-malaria tablets)

150 Toothbrushes

Did I mention I have an entire suitcase dedicated t0 toothbrushes? 150 of them.  My children think it’s hilarious.  Carrying all these Oral B toothbrushes (gifted by P & G) for the children I’ll visit in Laos, makes me glad.

Training

On my run route near home, there’s this torturous hill — long and steep — right near the end.  I’ve never been able to run up the entire way until this week. *Fist Pump*

I’ve been consistently training, especially for the last 2 months — 5-6 times every week (Group PT sessions and running).  I’m feeling ready to do this cycle.

This post is all over the place — I’m weary — but I’m packed! I can’t wait to share more from Laos next week. Watch out for me.  I’m the girl with 150 toothbrushes.

Follow

You can follow along the journey with me on Twitter & Instagram using the #LaosCycle13 hashtag

I’ve been slack.  Well, maybe not so much slack as uninspired when it comes to afternoon tea food for the kids. As the cooler weather sets in, I’ve noticed the children are more hungry after school and I’ve found myself falling back on to biscuits to tie them over to dinner.  Now, I don’t have a big problem with biscuits sometimes, but on a regular basis, it’s not what I want to feed my kids.  Ideally, I like providing food I made myself (so I know what’s in it) and like offering fresh fruit and veges in the afternoon too; carrots & apples are a favourite.

One of the challenges for me is many afternoons after I’m doing extra curricular activities with the kids so I need to be organised to bring food with me to school.  I just needed some inspiration so I asked the question on my Be A Fun Mum Facebook Page — and seriously, if you’re feeling a bit stuck like me, there are HEAPS of wonderful food ideas (read through them all here).

One of ideas someone suggested is this corn & cheese muffins recipe. So quick and easy…and perfect for the lunchbox too!  I’m going to experiment a little with this one and add some grated zucchini and Greek yogurt next time to see how it goes.

Savoury Corn & Cheese Muffins

Ingredients

1 420g Can Creamed Corn

1 Can SR Flour

1 Can Grated Cheese

Method

1. Combine all ingredients (it will be quite a dry-ish chunky mixture).  The cool thing about this is you can use the empty creamed corn tin to measure the cheese and flour which makes it super quick and easy.

2. Bake in a 180°C oven until golden (about 15-20 minutes)

I’ll be making a huge batch to freeze so I can pull them out any time I need.  Thanks facebook community for your help. You rock.

More

Morning Glory Muffins

4 Ingredients Coconut Bread Recipe

A couple of years ago, I made personalised tea bags using photos of the kids. The reaction from my grandparents was priceless! They LOVED it.  Using the same concept, I decided to create a bookmark this year.  The idea is to give the impression that the children are hanging from a rope.  When I did the tea bags, I photographed the kids individually which was easier (you can see how I used individual photos for bookmarks in a post I wrote for Pumpkin Patch).

This year I wanted ALL the kids in the ONE photograph for the ONE bookmark but I knew it would be a little more challenging to photograph.  However, it wasn’t as hard as I thought and the finished product…is…awesome!  I keep looking at it and smiling, and I hope the recipients of our bookmarks will experience the same thing.

What you need

Many of the materials needed for this project are found in most homes now, like photo paper and a colour printer.  The only thing I bought extra were tassels for a few dollars at Spotlight.

Materials

Craft Board

Craft Knife (or Stanley Knife)

Scissors

Photo paper

Small Tassel (available from craft and discount stores)

Permanent Marker

Laminator / Laminator sheet (optional)

Printer / Camera

1. Take photo

Below are a few tips to keep in mind when taking the photograph.

a) Keep the body in proportion

Hold the camera directly in front of the subject so the body is in proportion.  This usually means you’ll have to crouch down on your knees, especially if you’re taking a picture of a child much smaller than your standing height.

b) Set up

The idea is to capture the illusion of movement.   Again, with one child, it’s easier, but I had to think about how to get the look I wanted with all four children.  So, I looked for a place that had different levels (for example, a small retainer like our rock wall, stairs, a playground).

I had my eldest daughter stand on the edge of the garden, my second stood on a rock half way down, and the two younger kids stood on the ground. So funny!  A little instruction on what each person had to do with their hands/feet plus feeding them the concept for interpretation meant we were done in about 10 minutes.

Illusion of Movement Tips to Try

• Lean in different directions
• Stand on tiptoes
• Stand on one leg and lean to one side
• Make funny faces
• Look up
• Try one hand in the air…or two!
• Look into the direction of the intended movement
• Set the scene with instruction like, “Pretend you’re hanging off a rope?”

2. Format

Crop the picture around the subject and then insert the chosen photo into a program like Microsoft Word/Publisher.  Adjust the size of the picture (by dragging the corner of the picture in) so the photograph is approximately half an A4 size (portrait) in height.  Fit as many pictures on an A4 page as will allow.  If the size is too big/small after printing, it’s easy to readjust the size and reprint.  (Check by holding the picture up against the cover of an average book).

3. Print

Print the document on A4 Photo Paper.

4. Cut

I used both small scissors and a craft knife for this part of the project.

• Frist, carefully cut around the body of the subject using scissors (avoid the tricky bits).
• Then, use the craft knife on a board to finish it off.

5. Laminate (optional)

A laminator machine is not expensive and I have one in our art space to use for all sorts of things, especially now the kids are in school. I laminated the cut-out photograph to prevent breakage and cut an oval shape around the photo using scissors.

If you don’t have a laminator, you could simply stick the cut-out photograph on a piece of white photo paper with glue and cut around the image into a bookmark shape.

6. String

• Make a small hole near the hands (carefully, using a sharp pair of scissors).
• Feed the tassel through the hole.
• Secure the tassel by threading the end part through the loop and tighten.

7. Date

Date the back and add a message using a permanent marker.

Done!

More

Mother’s Day Craft

Photo dolls

3D Adventure Scene

To celebrate Autumn, the younger children and I went to one of our favourite exploring spots for a rainbow leaf hunt. We also collected dry leaves to later paint and hang in the kitchen (we did this last year with maple leaves).

I love doing this sort of stuff with the children because it has such value and meaning. It’s not just about a craft to fill the time. No, it’s more than that.   It’s about taking the time to notice around us (it’s Autumn and leaves are changing).  It’s about exploring and spending time as a family.  It’s about doing a mini project together that adds joy to the house we all live in.  And I feel good about it…long after the paint dries.

Materials

Paint ( I used child-friendly acrylic paint)

Paint brushes (small brushes work best)

Leaves

String (I use Divine Twine)

Painting Leaves

1. We looked for already dry leaves that were quite flat (ie. not too curled) to make painting easy.

2. Simple designs seem to work best, like lines and dots.

3. Allow to dry

4. The easiest way to hang the leaves, so they sit flat against the wall, is to thread string on to a large needle, and then starting from the unpainted side, thread the needle up through, and then back down again  on the same leaf.  Repeat until all the leaves are on the string. Hang and then space the leaves apart as desired!

Comon…how cute do these look!?   I enjoy seeing the leaves in my kitchen everyday.  They bring colour into the house as we celebrate nature in the home with good memories attached.

More

Paint Sticks