My children, despite their age gap, love to argue. Henry is only willing to allow Maya near him under his own terms and conditions. This morning as Maya got out of bed and came upstairs to where Henry was watching TV the following conversation ensured. I listened from the kitchen not game to interrupt.
H: No, no Sissy, don't take his blanket
M: But it's my blanket (it actually was)
H: No. It's not yours, it's mines.
M: No it's not, it's mine. Go and get your own Bob the Builder Blanket.
H: (pointing his finger) Sissy, you're being very naughty and if you don't stop it you'll have to go to the naughty corner
M: So what...it's still my blanket.
I came out with Henry's blanket and draped it over Sissy and told Henry he could have the one she had. That of course just started the whole thing up again. They all only want what the other one has.
One would think that a 14 year old and a 2 year old would love each other to bits. And they do. It's just that they can't stand each other.
Friday, June 29, 2007
Monday, June 25, 2007
Oh the suffering
For those of you whose children have not yet reached their teens...this is what you have to look forward to.
Practice trying to get your children to appreciate rice while you still can.
I hope you didn't think it was going to be easy.
Just to prove my point...Maya came home yesterday with a pair of Sass and Bide jeans given to her by her half sister who is young, beautiful and still lives at home giving her money to spend on such luxuries as a pair of jeans that look just like any other but cost possibly three times as much. All it did was make her say the following line to me with her pinky finger poised for linking with mine - "I'm going to buy a pair of Sass and Bide skinnies and then I promise, pinky promise that I won't buy anything else and will save my money".
Of course I refused to link pinkies because she's said that before.
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Industry Socks
Ben starts a new job tomorrow. As he had no appropriate attire we had to go shopping and we found these socks. As he works in IT they seemed perfectly appropriate. Even if they don't do what they claim it was worth buying them just because they are Computer Socks.. There were also Health Care Worker Socks. It made us wonder if they'll start producing Union Socks, Administration Socks, Checkout Chick Socks, Traffic Controller Socks, Mechanic Socks, Cleaner Socks, Investigator Socks, Celebrity Socks, Actor Socks, Dole Bludger Socks or even Single Mother Socks.
We also wondered if a pair of socks called Get Rich Quick Socks would actually do the job they were designed to do.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Sick and Polite
Henry has had a very high fever since late yesterday afternoon. Since this usually follows a cold and is always accompanied by an ear infection I took him to the docs to have him checked out. Of course I was right. I don't like it when he's sick but what I do like is that it makes him so compliant and so polite and so loving. He wants to cuddle and he always says please and thank you and asks me if I'm alright even though I'm not the one who is sick.
Today at the doctor he was abnormally complaint and even opened his mouth to allow her to peer down his throat and she didn't even have to use that horrid dry timber stick thing they use to keep the tongue out of the way. He breathed in and out when asked to do so as she listened to his chest with the stethoscope and when she was done he got down from my lap, turned to the doc and said "Doctor, can I please have a lolly now?". She asked him to repeat what he had said simply because she wanted to hear him say it again so he obliged. She then asked him if he knew where they were. "Of course" he said. "They're behind your concuter (computer)".
Even I hadn't seen them there and maybe he just remembered from last time but that's exactly where they were. She took out the jar and offered him one. When he had finally made his selection he said "Thank you doctor. Have a nice day and thanks for checking me out. See you next time".
We departed to the sounds of the doctor's chuckles.
On another note - Maya had her end of term drama performances on Tuesday evening. I was completely impressed and in awe of those teenagers who wrote all the material themselves. Each drama group had a theme and they had to write that theme into a fifteen minute drama performance using miminal props. Maya's group did "Perceptions of Love". It was sad, funny and insprirational all at once. I had an insight into how 14 year olds view the idea of love. They started off with a short scene at a restaurant. Maya and her partner were bored with each other's company when he got a call on his mobile phone. He left suddenly and she was all alone in the restuarant looking decidely dejected. The next scene showed the two of them at work. She his secretary and he her boss. He calls her into his office and fires her - tells her he's bored with her and that he needs more excitement. She leaves in tears and runs into a friend who tells her he had seen him out with a blonde bimbo just nights before. She later confronts him and they have it out...the scene ends with the two of them standing alone on separate ends of the stage. They added a touch of humour but it was hard not to sense the drama and sadness of it all. It was hard not to want to wrap all those teenagers in my arms and tell them that love isn't always like that.
Another group decided to tackle the issues of single parenthood. That one was truly suicidally sad. I'm not sure which one of them or how many of them had come from broken homes but they certainly had some first hand knowledge of it and presented it as something real and tangible. They're mature understanding of it blew me away.
I tried drama at school but in my day it was limited to performing a play that was already years old and always written by someone else. There was never any license given to the students to create their own themes or use their own life experiences to write something thought provoking and worth watching. I gave up because I thought that learning how to type would be much more satisfying and someday would allow me to write my own crappy stories. Little did I know then though that someone would invent the personal computer for use at home and those fake love stories I typed up in class to give to my bestest friend could be stored somewhere other than a piece of paper that she would then show to the whole world at lunch time.
Today at the doctor he was abnormally complaint and even opened his mouth to allow her to peer down his throat and she didn't even have to use that horrid dry timber stick thing they use to keep the tongue out of the way. He breathed in and out when asked to do so as she listened to his chest with the stethoscope and when she was done he got down from my lap, turned to the doc and said "Doctor, can I please have a lolly now?". She asked him to repeat what he had said simply because she wanted to hear him say it again so he obliged. She then asked him if he knew where they were. "Of course" he said. "They're behind your concuter (computer)".
Even I hadn't seen them there and maybe he just remembered from last time but that's exactly where they were. She took out the jar and offered him one. When he had finally made his selection he said "Thank you doctor. Have a nice day and thanks for checking me out. See you next time".
We departed to the sounds of the doctor's chuckles.
On another note - Maya had her end of term drama performances on Tuesday evening. I was completely impressed and in awe of those teenagers who wrote all the material themselves. Each drama group had a theme and they had to write that theme into a fifteen minute drama performance using miminal props. Maya's group did "Perceptions of Love". It was sad, funny and insprirational all at once. I had an insight into how 14 year olds view the idea of love. They started off with a short scene at a restaurant. Maya and her partner were bored with each other's company when he got a call on his mobile phone. He left suddenly and she was all alone in the restuarant looking decidely dejected. The next scene showed the two of them at work. She his secretary and he her boss. He calls her into his office and fires her - tells her he's bored with her and that he needs more excitement. She leaves in tears and runs into a friend who tells her he had seen him out with a blonde bimbo just nights before. She later confronts him and they have it out...the scene ends with the two of them standing alone on separate ends of the stage. They added a touch of humour but it was hard not to sense the drama and sadness of it all. It was hard not to want to wrap all those teenagers in my arms and tell them that love isn't always like that.
Another group decided to tackle the issues of single parenthood. That one was truly suicidally sad. I'm not sure which one of them or how many of them had come from broken homes but they certainly had some first hand knowledge of it and presented it as something real and tangible. They're mature understanding of it blew me away.
I tried drama at school but in my day it was limited to performing a play that was already years old and always written by someone else. There was never any license given to the students to create their own themes or use their own life experiences to write something thought provoking and worth watching. I gave up because I thought that learning how to type would be much more satisfying and someday would allow me to write my own crappy stories. Little did I know then though that someone would invent the personal computer for use at home and those fake love stories I typed up in class to give to my bestest friend could be stored somewhere other than a piece of paper that she would then show to the whole world at lunch time.
Friday, June 15, 2007
Taverna Trouble
Today a friend from out of town took Henry, Maya and I to lunch at the Gap Tavern. I'd never been there before but if you're looking for a kid friendly but adult place to dine then it's perfect. They have a playground right off the dining deck and a kids playroom which is set up with a video car racing game, books, blocks and playstations.
My friend wanted to specifically go there because he's a consultant in the hotel industry and wanted to check it out for another person who's planning on taking over the management of it.
Anyway while waiting for lunch Henry played in the playroom which was located right beside our table. There were two other four year old boys playing in there too. They'd lay claim to each and every thing that was in that room and were not about to let Henry touch anything. I sat and observed for a while before intervening just to make sure I wasn't speaking out of place. Henry was his usual polite self and asked politely if he could play with the car racing game which had a seat and a steering wheel and required money (but he didn't know that). The other boy children just pushed him aside and said "no, you're not big enough and you wouldn't know how to play". Henry looked all forlorn and stood there staring and each time he attempted to go near it they shooed him away. I could stand it no longer and so tried the soft approach first. "Do you mind if Henry has a turn when you're finished?" Of course their answer was "No, he's not big enough and he doesn't know what to do, he has to go away. He just can't play in here". Very calmly I asked "Are you the manager?" They were then all like "After we've had ten turns each he can have a turn. We might take a long time you know?" I told them I understood but they weren't being very fair about it. I even pointed out that he had asked nicely and was willing to wait his turn but he didn't have to wait until they'd had ten turns. After I gave them each a stern glare they agreed to only have two turns each before turning it over. I walked away as though I had left the room but stayed outside the door within ear shot but so they could not see me. As soon as I left the room they started again. Henry had pretty much lost interest by that stage and turned his attention to something else. I left and could still see what was going on through the glass from our table. Everything seemed to be going ok but I went in later to check and by that stage the staff had turned on the playstations so I sat down to have a go. As soon as I did the four year olds decided they needed to tell me which ones I could and couldn't use. I made sure they were clear about the fact that I was an adult and could play whichever one I wanted. There were after all five playstations and only two of them so I had a choice of three. When I had made my choice they then proceeded to come and snatch the controls from my hand and tell me that I didn't know how to play and they would show me. I told them I was fine and could work it out. They then stood beside me telling me which way to move and who to kill. I had to tell them that I knew who the baddies were and I was doing just fine thanks without the running commentary.
Now normally these kids wouldn't have bothered me so much but I was tired and they were just too damned bossy. Plus I'd already spent the morning in Intensive Behaviour Therapy at home with Henry before leaving. They were getting on my nerves and rubbing me the wrong way. Their mother's were sitting at another table sipping wine oblivious to all the goings on and had not once removed themselves from their chairs to check on their sons.
As they kept it up I lost interest in playing and put the controller down and went to walk away. As I did so I couldn't help telling them that their bossy attitude had ruined my enjoyment of the game. I took Henry to the outdoor playground and they followed and kept it up out there telling Henry what he could and couldn't climb on. I stayed quiet and just glared at them. They soon got the hint and went back to the playroom to boss around some other little girl who'd gone in there thinking she'd just like to play with the blocks.
Aside from that little experience lunch was thoroughly enjoyable.
My friend wanted to specifically go there because he's a consultant in the hotel industry and wanted to check it out for another person who's planning on taking over the management of it.
Anyway while waiting for lunch Henry played in the playroom which was located right beside our table. There were two other four year old boys playing in there too. They'd lay claim to each and every thing that was in that room and were not about to let Henry touch anything. I sat and observed for a while before intervening just to make sure I wasn't speaking out of place. Henry was his usual polite self and asked politely if he could play with the car racing game which had a seat and a steering wheel and required money (but he didn't know that). The other boy children just pushed him aside and said "no, you're not big enough and you wouldn't know how to play". Henry looked all forlorn and stood there staring and each time he attempted to go near it they shooed him away. I could stand it no longer and so tried the soft approach first. "Do you mind if Henry has a turn when you're finished?" Of course their answer was "No, he's not big enough and he doesn't know what to do, he has to go away. He just can't play in here". Very calmly I asked "Are you the manager?" They were then all like "After we've had ten turns each he can have a turn. We might take a long time you know?" I told them I understood but they weren't being very fair about it. I even pointed out that he had asked nicely and was willing to wait his turn but he didn't have to wait until they'd had ten turns. After I gave them each a stern glare they agreed to only have two turns each before turning it over. I walked away as though I had left the room but stayed outside the door within ear shot but so they could not see me. As soon as I left the room they started again. Henry had pretty much lost interest by that stage and turned his attention to something else. I left and could still see what was going on through the glass from our table. Everything seemed to be going ok but I went in later to check and by that stage the staff had turned on the playstations so I sat down to have a go. As soon as I did the four year olds decided they needed to tell me which ones I could and couldn't use. I made sure they were clear about the fact that I was an adult and could play whichever one I wanted. There were after all five playstations and only two of them so I had a choice of three. When I had made my choice they then proceeded to come and snatch the controls from my hand and tell me that I didn't know how to play and they would show me. I told them I was fine and could work it out. They then stood beside me telling me which way to move and who to kill. I had to tell them that I knew who the baddies were and I was doing just fine thanks without the running commentary.
Now normally these kids wouldn't have bothered me so much but I was tired and they were just too damned bossy. Plus I'd already spent the morning in Intensive Behaviour Therapy at home with Henry before leaving. They were getting on my nerves and rubbing me the wrong way. Their mother's were sitting at another table sipping wine oblivious to all the goings on and had not once removed themselves from their chairs to check on their sons.
As they kept it up I lost interest in playing and put the controller down and went to walk away. As I did so I couldn't help telling them that their bossy attitude had ruined my enjoyment of the game. I took Henry to the outdoor playground and they followed and kept it up out there telling Henry what he could and couldn't climb on. I stayed quiet and just glared at them. They soon got the hint and went back to the playroom to boss around some other little girl who'd gone in there thinking she'd just like to play with the blocks.
Aside from that little experience lunch was thoroughly enjoyable.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Thank you for being so darn cute
Henry's day care teachers love him to bits. They tell me he's the most polite toddler they've ever cared for. When he's there he thanks them for warming his lunch, for tucking him in when it's snooze time, and for helping him to the toilet. He even politely asks the other children if he can share the toy they happen to be playing with. He apologises to everyone if he physically hurts them or if he feels he's hurt their feelings in any way. Each day when I pick him up they tell me how delighted they are to be able to take care of him. All the carers wave him off and all the kids help him out the gate. It's like he has some kind of spell over them and has sucked them all into believing he's a perfect angel. For me it conjures up images of him dressed in a suit at 30 years of age flashing some greasy smile to an investor he's just managed to con into handing over millions of dollars for his latest venture.
He has always been polite and I'm very fussy about manners so try to encourage him to use them as often as possible. Even at home when he's throwing a tantrum he's usually yelling "sorry" while he's thrashing about on the floor refusing to undress to get in the shower. He even takes himself to the naughty corner when he knows he's stretched the boundaries as far as he can. He always comes to tell me when he's ready to say sorry and flashes a big smile and gives me an enormous hug. The thing is that lately he refuses to co-operate on anything without putting up a fight first. It's like he's just decided that it's about time to let loose with the screaming each and every time he hears the words "Henry, come and...". He immediately starts saying "No, not yet. I'm too busy". He continues that until I get to boiling point and then he starts to throw himself on the ground screaming "no, no, no not yet Mummy. I just got to play cars first".
When I get him to daycare he's all smiles and hugs and full of nice things to say like "I like your hair today Debbie". Of course the only thing to do is love him and kiss him and shower him with attention.
Kids self protective mechanism is to be cute as can be so they avoid a lifetime of never getting their own way.
He has always been polite and I'm very fussy about manners so try to encourage him to use them as often as possible. Even at home when he's throwing a tantrum he's usually yelling "sorry" while he's thrashing about on the floor refusing to undress to get in the shower. He even takes himself to the naughty corner when he knows he's stretched the boundaries as far as he can. He always comes to tell me when he's ready to say sorry and flashes a big smile and gives me an enormous hug. The thing is that lately he refuses to co-operate on anything without putting up a fight first. It's like he's just decided that it's about time to let loose with the screaming each and every time he hears the words "Henry, come and...". He immediately starts saying "No, not yet. I'm too busy". He continues that until I get to boiling point and then he starts to throw himself on the ground screaming "no, no, no not yet Mummy. I just got to play cars first".
When I get him to daycare he's all smiles and hugs and full of nice things to say like "I like your hair today Debbie". Of course the only thing to do is love him and kiss him and shower him with attention.
Kids self protective mechanism is to be cute as can be so they avoid a lifetime of never getting their own way.
Monday, June 11, 2007
more photos of the weekend.
This cow, Posy Cow, she's really not so bad, especially right after she's had her morning weet bix.
We won!
The Australian saying couldn't organise a piss up in a brewery certainly applied to the World's Biggest Pub Crawl we just attended in Maryborough this weekend.
It was certainly a lot of fun and some of the costumes worn by the patrons were very clever and original but the organisation of it left one needing a drink. If you've ever been to my home town you'll know it has a pub on just about every corner. At one time there were 22 fully operational hotels. some of them have closed down and fallen into disrepair but plenty are still open for business. There were 16 pubs participating last year but due to a heavy crack down by the licensing commission the numbers had dwindled to only ten this year. It started at midday and all ten pubs had to be visted by 6PM to make your participation count. Each person bought a card for $3 and had to have that card stamped at each hotel. The card had to be handed in at the lat hotel visited. They had buses to ferry everyone to and from the pubs on the outskirts of town but all those in town were within walking distance of each other. Getting all ten in by 6PM was no small feat. There was barely enough time to order a drink and get the card stamped before moving to the next one. Some pubs had queues ten deep at the bar so getting a drink at some proved impossible. There was simply no time to get drunk or even tipsy.
A huge event attended by a lot of people, many from out of town, out of state and even from overseas. Some bars had only two staff members on duty and very few were forward thinking enough to even set up outside can bars or softdrink stands. Everyone had to simply stand in line for a long time for both the bars and the toilets.
One hotel who did not want to participate for fear of attracting a huge fine was helped out by Rotary who had applied for a special license and set up an outside bar in the carpark. That one was withough a doubt the most efficient and best run of all. They had even thought to have a few portaloos handy.
At one hotel my sister and I went to line up for the toilet only to realise the queue went out the door. We were able to walk three blocks down the road and use the public facilities and be back with time to spare before Ben had even been served at the bar.
The good news is though that I have helped my home town win back the title from London. A small town with only a population of 26000 beat London if you can believe it. And I didn't even get drunk in the process.
Everyone was on their best behaviour and not once did I see anybody so drunk or so disorderly that it made the event a sorry one. We had left by 6.30Pm though and gone home so I'm sure there was some rowdy behaviour later in the evening at the two hotels who had provided live entertainment.
My sister works for the local bus company so we were fortunate enough to even have our own private bus to ferry us back and forth meaning we didn't have to wait in the long queues for transport.
Henry and Maya both had a lovely time with their cousins and my mother while we were gone. Only problem was Henry had to be bribed into the car to come home this morning. Three acres and lots of room to run meant he was as happy as a pig in mud the entire weekend.
It was certainly a lot of fun and some of the costumes worn by the patrons were very clever and original but the organisation of it left one needing a drink. If you've ever been to my home town you'll know it has a pub on just about every corner. At one time there were 22 fully operational hotels. some of them have closed down and fallen into disrepair but plenty are still open for business. There were 16 pubs participating last year but due to a heavy crack down by the licensing commission the numbers had dwindled to only ten this year. It started at midday and all ten pubs had to be visted by 6PM to make your participation count. Each person bought a card for $3 and had to have that card stamped at each hotel. The card had to be handed in at the lat hotel visited. They had buses to ferry everyone to and from the pubs on the outskirts of town but all those in town were within walking distance of each other. Getting all ten in by 6PM was no small feat. There was barely enough time to order a drink and get the card stamped before moving to the next one. Some pubs had queues ten deep at the bar so getting a drink at some proved impossible. There was simply no time to get drunk or even tipsy.
A huge event attended by a lot of people, many from out of town, out of state and even from overseas. Some bars had only two staff members on duty and very few were forward thinking enough to even set up outside can bars or softdrink stands. Everyone had to simply stand in line for a long time for both the bars and the toilets.
One hotel who did not want to participate for fear of attracting a huge fine was helped out by Rotary who had applied for a special license and set up an outside bar in the carpark. That one was withough a doubt the most efficient and best run of all. They had even thought to have a few portaloos handy.
At one hotel my sister and I went to line up for the toilet only to realise the queue went out the door. We were able to walk three blocks down the road and use the public facilities and be back with time to spare before Ben had even been served at the bar.
The good news is though that I have helped my home town win back the title from London. A small town with only a population of 26000 beat London if you can believe it. And I didn't even get drunk in the process.
Everyone was on their best behaviour and not once did I see anybody so drunk or so disorderly that it made the event a sorry one. We had left by 6.30Pm though and gone home so I'm sure there was some rowdy behaviour later in the evening at the two hotels who had provided live entertainment.
My sister works for the local bus company so we were fortunate enough to even have our own private bus to ferry us back and forth meaning we didn't have to wait in the long queues for transport.
Henry and Maya both had a lovely time with their cousins and my mother while we were gone. Only problem was Henry had to be bribed into the car to come home this morning. Three acres and lots of room to run meant he was as happy as a pig in mud the entire weekend.
Saturday, June 09, 2007
Firetruck
My mother has a fire station just near her home. Last night while waiting for my sister to arrive from out of town Henry and I took a walk there. It was dark and the doors were closed so we had to peek through the windows to see the trucks. While doing so we spotted the firemen cooking their dinner. Henry said "I'd like to meet a fireman" so we knocked on the door hoping they'd come and introduce themselves. They did. Henry looked aghast as though he couldn't believe a real one was standing right in front of him. They invited us in and gave us a personalised tour of the station.
Henry thought it was all pretty cool until he was offered a seat in the firetruck. He suddenly became frightened and refused the offer. I got in with him but he still was frightened. He asked to get down so we did and as soon as we'd done so he turned to the fireman and waved to him and then said "Thanks for showing me the truck but I have to go back to Nana's house now, bye".
All the firemen were worried that they had somehow upset him and so they rushed off to get him a sample bag filled with fire truck goodies including some cardboard fire truck money boxes. He slept beside those all night because they were the highlight of his visit.
Henry thought it was all pretty cool until he was offered a seat in the firetruck. He suddenly became frightened and refused the offer. I got in with him but he still was frightened. He asked to get down so we did and as soon as we'd done so he turned to the fireman and waved to him and then said "Thanks for showing me the truck but I have to go back to Nana's house now, bye".
All the firemen were worried that they had somehow upset him and so they rushed off to get him a sample bag filled with fire truck goodies including some cardboard fire truck money boxes. He slept beside those all night because they were the highlight of his visit.
Friday, June 08, 2007
It'll be just like the days before kids
I'm off to boost the numbers of this over the weekend. Don't anyone go getting all mother's don't do such things on me because they do. Sometimes.
Since I'm unable to cope with anymore than two glasses of wine these days I doubt very much that I'll indulging heavily but it's not about the drinking, it's about winning back the title from Britain.
My mother is coming along to stay at my sister's house and babysit all the children and she only too well understands that we parents need to have time out to indulgently hang out in pubs. Just like we were still 20. And childless. And with nothing else to spend out money on other than boozing it up at the local boozer.
Just in case I choose to have more than two glasses of wine and can actually make it to three without puking I will be taking along some Berocca's and a bag full of snacks to help with the hangover I may possibly have the following day.
My sister who can't cope with more than 1 glass of wine says it's the best fun ever. Mostly just because there's people who get dressed up in ridiculous costumes and do nothing but make fools of themselves after they've drunk so much they can no longer stand up straight. That'll be the highlight for me.
While we're there Henry will get to sit on the stationary ride on mower for several hours and his weekend will be complete. Maya will spend time with her girl cousins down behind the shed talking about boys. Sounds like a perfect weekend for everyone.
Since I'm unable to cope with anymore than two glasses of wine these days I doubt very much that I'll indulging heavily but it's not about the drinking, it's about winning back the title from Britain.
My mother is coming along to stay at my sister's house and babysit all the children and she only too well understands that we parents need to have time out to indulgently hang out in pubs. Just like we were still 20. And childless. And with nothing else to spend out money on other than boozing it up at the local boozer.
Just in case I choose to have more than two glasses of wine and can actually make it to three without puking I will be taking along some Berocca's and a bag full of snacks to help with the hangover I may possibly have the following day.
My sister who can't cope with more than 1 glass of wine says it's the best fun ever. Mostly just because there's people who get dressed up in ridiculous costumes and do nothing but make fools of themselves after they've drunk so much they can no longer stand up straight. That'll be the highlight for me.
While we're there Henry will get to sit on the stationary ride on mower for several hours and his weekend will be complete. Maya will spend time with her girl cousins down behind the shed talking about boys. Sounds like a perfect weekend for everyone.
Sunday, June 03, 2007
Perhaps I should start learning how to pray
He broke the umbrella right after he finished lying beneath it.
I haven't posted for a while because of lack of time and also because Henry hasn't done anything cute worth writing about for some time. Lately he's been nothing but painful. The day time naps seem to be coming a thing of the past and as a result he's usually screeching and climbing the furniture like a feral cat by 4PM. He is going to bed earlier but not by much and a couple of evenings has even just gone and taken himself off there after his bath. I'll be getting his dinner ready and turn around and he will have disappeared into his bed and be fast asleep. That's a bonus I guess but the lead up to that is enough to test the strength of anyone's parenting skills.
The thing is that he knows when he's been naughty and sometimes will even just send himself to the naughty corner where he stays until he thinks he's been there long enough and comes to me looking all forlorn and says "sorry Mama".
I've just made a trip to the supermarket and took Henry with me. He and I are both tired today and both very cranky as a result. He seemed to sense that there was a limit to how much bad behaviour I was willing to accept today and was ever so patient with me. He even stayed close to me instead of running up and down the aisles as he usually does. I'd promised him a matchbox car if he behaved and so as we edged ever closer to that aisle, which he knows intimately, he started to show signs of becoming resltess. I stopped moving and gave him the glare. He immediately calmed down. Once we got to the cars he was only willing to look at the $13 box of five but the deal I'd made with him was for 1 car only. He wasn't happy with that and refused to even look at the offerings I placed before him. He started to scream and I started to walk away. He turned to follow me and said "no worries mum, I don't need a car". It was at that moment that I knew that most of the following through on most of the consequences I set had paid off. He even remained relatively calm until we got out of there and into the parking lot where he somehow thinks he will never get hit by a passing car.
Now I am going to clean up the yoghurt he's spilled all over the floor and hang the load of washing in the machine, wash the dishes, prepare the marinade for the meat that is to go in tonight's currt...and then...there's never much point wishing that after all that there'll be time to rest because....because life isn't like that.
Friday, May 25, 2007
Behold...
This is one of the only pieces of furniture that I now own that was not owned by several people before me. I feel so...grown up.
Ben and I decided it was time to invest in a dining suite that was safe, functional and liked by us both. We thought it would be easy. We had an idea about what we wanted but no idea about how hard it would be to decide between several that were similar but slightly different. This is what we finally settled on.
It got delivered this afternoon. Henry was excited because I was. The delivery van pulled up and Henry starts all "ooohhhh hoooo, it's so exciting mum, it's the delivery van". When the guys were unpacking it I told them how excited I was to have it. They both looked at me like I was some kind of deprived weirdo. I explained that it was one of the first pieces of furniture I've bought that hasn't belonged to someone else before me and cost more than $50. "Oh" he said. "No wonder you're so excited". And then they left.
Henry and I were left to climb all over it, sit on the chairs, pull them from the table, run our hands over the table top and then sit down and pretend we were eating the most delicious meal ever at the grandest table in the whole wide world!
I feel like a real adult now.
Saturday, May 19, 2007
When Nana is way better than Mama
Henry spent Thursday night with my mother. He'd been there all day with her while I went to work. When I went to collect him he didn't want to come home. He outrightly refused. "No I'm staying at Nana's house tonight, Mum". So I left him and returned to collect him early for swimming lessons the following morning. I found them eating breakfast, having just woken at 8AM. Henry loudly proclaimed that he wasn't going to swimming lessons either because he was staying with Nana. I had to almost force his swimming costume on him and drag him out the door. As soon as swimming lessons were over he insisted on going back there because he just had to "tell Nana about swimming lessons". We stopped in and had a cup of tea and he overheard me telling her that I needed to get some things from the shop. Before I had even finished he said "bye mum, see you soon" waved me off and ran out to play with his cars.
So I left him there again while I went to the shops and when I returned to collect him this time he still refused to come home with me. I had to bribe him with a small toy I had bought while at the shops to get him in the car. Ever since then he will not do anything without having to tell Nana about it or ask her first if it's ok. Before bed last night he had to call Nana to say good night. He wouldn't eat breakfast this mornning without saying he had to ask Nana if he could have it. Even ice cream deserves a good telling to Nana.
Henry would be quite happy if I dropped dead and he had to live there like, forever.
So I left him there again while I went to the shops and when I returned to collect him this time he still refused to come home with me. I had to bribe him with a small toy I had bought while at the shops to get him in the car. Ever since then he will not do anything without having to tell Nana about it or ask her first if it's ok. Before bed last night he had to call Nana to say good night. He wouldn't eat breakfast this mornning without saying he had to ask Nana if he could have it. Even ice cream deserves a good telling to Nana.
Henry would be quite happy if I dropped dead and he had to live there like, forever.
Friday, May 18, 2007
Rant
I am unable to understand why it is acceptable when writing an email or sending a text message to omit salutations or any type of anything that would be normally considered polite.
I am so fed up with it and sometimes feel like completely ignoring those who do such a thing. Right now I have a couple of things for sale on ebay. Of course people like to ask questions about these things. What they can't do when asking those questions is say hi, or hello or use a question mark or spell correctly. Nor can they even bother to sign off with thanks or sign off at all.
My sister recently sold a car and advertised it with her mobile phone number as the contact. Most people sent her a text message that went something like this - "wots ur lowest price" - no hello, no thanks, no "I'm interested in your car, do you mind if I ask a few questions", no correct spelling. Not even the energy to bother dialling the number. Of course she ignored those people but two of them continued to text her with the same question.
Are we too busy? Do we just not know how to be polite anymore? Do we just not care anymore? Is it universally accepted and so I should just take it like a man and ignore it?
It's not in my nature to be rude and so I can't do it but I really, really want to.
I am so fed up with it and sometimes feel like completely ignoring those who do such a thing. Right now I have a couple of things for sale on ebay. Of course people like to ask questions about these things. What they can't do when asking those questions is say hi, or hello or use a question mark or spell correctly. Nor can they even bother to sign off with thanks or sign off at all.
My sister recently sold a car and advertised it with her mobile phone number as the contact. Most people sent her a text message that went something like this - "wots ur lowest price" - no hello, no thanks, no "I'm interested in your car, do you mind if I ask a few questions", no correct spelling. Not even the energy to bother dialling the number. Of course she ignored those people but two of them continued to text her with the same question.
Are we too busy? Do we just not know how to be polite anymore? Do we just not care anymore? Is it universally accepted and so I should just take it like a man and ignore it?
It's not in my nature to be rude and so I can't do it but I really, really want to.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Raising a perfect child
I sometimes wonder whether or not I'm being a good enough Mum. As I've mentioned before it's not the easiest job in the world and one that is fraught with challenges. Trying to raise even tempered, well behaved but brilliant children is a full time job in itself but when one has to work at some kind of paid employment to help pay the bills one is always racked with guilt over the time not spent teaching the children how to behave and remain even tempered.
I remarked to Henry's daycare teachers that we use the naughty corner at home which works brilliantly. They asked me why. Of course I looked at them dumbfounded because EVERYONE knows what the naughty corner is for thanks to the Nanny. They told me they don't use one at daycare and that Henry would certainly never need it there if they did because he's always so good and so perfectly well behaved and just so smart.
I left there feeling that perhaps I was doing an ok job after all if they thought he was so perfect. I did wonder though why it all turns to hell in a handbasket when we get home.
I remarked to Henry's daycare teachers that we use the naughty corner at home which works brilliantly. They asked me why. Of course I looked at them dumbfounded because EVERYONE knows what the naughty corner is for thanks to the Nanny. They told me they don't use one at daycare and that Henry would certainly never need it there if they did because he's always so good and so perfectly well behaved and just so smart.
I left there feeling that perhaps I was doing an ok job after all if they thought he was so perfect. I did wonder though why it all turns to hell in a handbasket when we get home.
Mother's Day Update
I had a wonderful day. I attempted to sleep in but with a child who only wants his mama it didn't last long. Maya presented me with a beautiful photo album full of photos of me with my loving children. I then went to breakfast and the movies and came home to a delicious meal prepared by my loving husband.
Just the Mother's Day I wanted.
Just the Mother's Day I wanted.
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Mother's Day
It's Mother's Day tomorrow just in case some of you had forgotten. Don't know how you could with the endless amount of advertising telling you that you should spend up big on your mother.
Mother's Day for me is far more important than my birthday, Christmas or Easter. Not because I might get a gift, which is in fact the last thing I expect or want, but because it's the one day I can say is MINE. Invented just for me because I'm a mother now. I can refuse to get out of bed, cook, clean and even ignore the pleas for attention. I think of Mother's Day as the one day I can make my children and husband grateful for everything I do by being as ignorant and unavailable as possible.
I read and hear about all the celebrity mum's who get labelled supermum's because they can afford to hire a few full time nanny's while they continue the comparatively easy job of earning a living. They're all like "being a mother is the most wonderful thing in the world and my kids are the most precious things on earth". It's true, they are the most precious things on earth and they are the most wonderful thing that will ever happen but being a mother is not the easiest thing to do.
A few years after I had Maya I stumbled across a book called "The Heartache of Motherhood". It was written by a woman who used to be a magazine editor. After I found it I wanted to meet that woman and kiss her and hug her and tell her I loved her. She had very succinctly put into words all the feelings I had about motherhood. She told me it was ok to admit that you sometimes didn't like it. One line stuck in my head and it went something like this: I love my children and would walk in front of a bus for them but I don't always like being their mother.
She had written about her career, marriage and her desire to have children and how all those things changed after she became a mother. She had four children in the 60's and 70's, she baked, made clothes, became a tuckshop lady, worked from home and did all the right things but she never felt fulfilled ever again as a person in her own right. She started to despise her husband because his life went relatively unchanged but hers had been irrevocably altered.
She wrote about how people only ever told her how wonderful motherhood was and that it was something everyone had to do. No one ever told her how difficult doing the most simple things would become - taking a shower, writing a letter, talking on the phone, grocery shopping, sleeping. No one ever told her that shops were not designed to make it easy for women with children pushing strollers or that your children might scream and howl at all hours of the night or that you would never again enjoy a warm meal or a whole glass of wine or talk of anything that wasn't baby related.
After her children all left home and developed their own successful careers and had their own children she left her husband. In her day they didn't do much of anything to help out (sometimes still don't) and she despised him too much for the changes he hadn't made. They remained friends but things had been altered and they would never again be the same for her.
So when Mother's Day rolls around tomorrow I will be lying in my bed with the blankets pulled up and my ear plugs in and I will ignore. I will take all the mothering I give to others and savour it for myself. I will join my mother and sister for breakfast and leave my children at home. I will go to the movies and I will ignore the dishes, the washing, the mess and the screams. For one day I will be oblivious to the demands and the howls - at least until I get home from the movies. The peace only lasts for as many hours as you can stay away from home. I miss them when I'm not with them but at the same time I sometimes just wish they would hire a nanny.
Happy Mother's Day to all the mother's I know. You've done a fantastic job and you can give yourselves a pat on the back for making it this far, however far that is. It's ok to sometimes just sit and cry or scream into your pillow or even to tell your kids to shut the hell up for five minutes. You're only human after all.
Mother's Day for me is far more important than my birthday, Christmas or Easter. Not because I might get a gift, which is in fact the last thing I expect or want, but because it's the one day I can say is MINE. Invented just for me because I'm a mother now. I can refuse to get out of bed, cook, clean and even ignore the pleas for attention. I think of Mother's Day as the one day I can make my children and husband grateful for everything I do by being as ignorant and unavailable as possible.
I read and hear about all the celebrity mum's who get labelled supermum's because they can afford to hire a few full time nanny's while they continue the comparatively easy job of earning a living. They're all like "being a mother is the most wonderful thing in the world and my kids are the most precious things on earth". It's true, they are the most precious things on earth and they are the most wonderful thing that will ever happen but being a mother is not the easiest thing to do.
A few years after I had Maya I stumbled across a book called "The Heartache of Motherhood". It was written by a woman who used to be a magazine editor. After I found it I wanted to meet that woman and kiss her and hug her and tell her I loved her. She had very succinctly put into words all the feelings I had about motherhood. She told me it was ok to admit that you sometimes didn't like it. One line stuck in my head and it went something like this: I love my children and would walk in front of a bus for them but I don't always like being their mother.
She had written about her career, marriage and her desire to have children and how all those things changed after she became a mother. She had four children in the 60's and 70's, she baked, made clothes, became a tuckshop lady, worked from home and did all the right things but she never felt fulfilled ever again as a person in her own right. She started to despise her husband because his life went relatively unchanged but hers had been irrevocably altered.
She wrote about how people only ever told her how wonderful motherhood was and that it was something everyone had to do. No one ever told her how difficult doing the most simple things would become - taking a shower, writing a letter, talking on the phone, grocery shopping, sleeping. No one ever told her that shops were not designed to make it easy for women with children pushing strollers or that your children might scream and howl at all hours of the night or that you would never again enjoy a warm meal or a whole glass of wine or talk of anything that wasn't baby related.
After her children all left home and developed their own successful careers and had their own children she left her husband. In her day they didn't do much of anything to help out (sometimes still don't) and she despised him too much for the changes he hadn't made. They remained friends but things had been altered and they would never again be the same for her.
So when Mother's Day rolls around tomorrow I will be lying in my bed with the blankets pulled up and my ear plugs in and I will ignore. I will take all the mothering I give to others and savour it for myself. I will join my mother and sister for breakfast and leave my children at home. I will go to the movies and I will ignore the dishes, the washing, the mess and the screams. For one day I will be oblivious to the demands and the howls - at least until I get home from the movies. The peace only lasts for as many hours as you can stay away from home. I miss them when I'm not with them but at the same time I sometimes just wish they would hire a nanny.
Happy Mother's Day to all the mother's I know. You've done a fantastic job and you can give yourselves a pat on the back for making it this far, however far that is. It's ok to sometimes just sit and cry or scream into your pillow or even to tell your kids to shut the hell up for five minutes. You're only human after all.
Friday, May 04, 2007
Thursday, May 03, 2007
Something New but recycled
Thanks to some very generous friends Henry has a new toy. Already it's performed countless rescues and we've only had it for two hours!
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