Since I last posted, my life has been shaken up and continues to be tumbled around. It's been tumultuous to say the least and pretty much all of it was instigated by me.
I can't really go into details here (much as I really, really want to) but I need to write about it. I am diarist who needs to be read. I find that I simply cannot write and not show it to anyone!
If you've been reading this blog and the its sister, you know that I am married with a little girl. I have been married for nearly 20 years but I have only been a mother for less than five.
In that time, I have made it through mental illnesses (yes, plural) and a suicide attempt on top of all the regular stuff that couples live with.
For a while now, I had been struggling with a terrible need to make a significant change to my life - I was constantly casting about to do something different. I felt that maybe I needed a new job, new projects, new activities - but none of it fit. I simply couldn't seem to follow through on anything.
Then I followed through on one, amazing, awful, thing.
And I found myself unfurling. I found that I had wings. That I could fly. I was so intensely, apparently happy that strangers noticed and smiled back at me.
I was on the crest of this wave of well-being when the epiphany occurred. I suddenly realised that I had been deeply, deeply unhappy for a very long time. If I wanted to feel like this again, I needed to break a promise I had made a long time ago.
This was the significant I change I needed to make to save my life.
The bomb has been dropped. I feel guilty about the cost - no one with an ounce of compassion could not - but I am doing everything in my power to mitigate the fall out.
Friday 26 September 2014
Thursday 24 July 2014
Logo design ideas: Community Youth
I'm just having a nostalgic moment... over the last year or so, I've been trying to get back onto a creative track. Recently I finished a brochure for a colleague's mate and I've been drafting ideas for a friend's cake business. Here're a couple of things I'd done that I quite like.
Boy, was I conceited! And failed completely to understand that the youth club should design their own logo!
Boy, was I conceited! And failed completely to understand that the youth club should design their own logo!
Saturday 28 June 2014
Ideas 3
Some updates on the Ideas 1 and 2!
The car party was a hit! Although the kids got so excited about racing their cars we didn't get a chance to stick on the "safety belts". The cars themselves were ultimately abandoned for just racing and flopping on the grass! A checkered tea-towel acted as the finish line and various garden items were used as part of the track. A fab day was had by all. We laughed so much my cheeks ached!
The fairy party didn't happen in the end as the dragon fell ill as did one of the fairies. So we shall be doing that one again another time.
The silent disco went down like a lead balloon... but hey, should definitely try again. Timing is everything methinks!
Here are some fresh ideas:
28/6/14:
1. An art tv show for kids streamed online. More details in a separate blog.
2. Mr & Little Miss Action/Snap cards
3. £1 challenge - find a thousand things to sell for a £1. Currently in progress here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152039245292723.1073741832.720977722&type=1&l=2658dde162
4. An investigator bee called Anoushka (?) who is a solitary bee - she helps the other creatures in her glen. So far, the cases have been - a missing beehive, the burning of Mrs Ladybird's house, the a missing ant trail.
----------------------------------------------------
Well, there has been some movement on the ideas list. I've made a first draft of Digger vs the Ball, a car party is happening this Sunday and April will see a fairy party where we're making our own wings and vanquishing a dragon in the garden. (ooh! Must buy chalk for the castle!)
The car party was a hit! Although the kids got so excited about racing their cars we didn't get a chance to stick on the "safety belts". The cars themselves were ultimately abandoned for just racing and flopping on the grass! A checkered tea-towel acted as the finish line and various garden items were used as part of the track. A fab day was had by all. We laughed so much my cheeks ached!
The fairy party didn't happen in the end as the dragon fell ill as did one of the fairies. So we shall be doing that one again another time.
The silent disco went down like a lead balloon... but hey, should definitely try again. Timing is everything methinks!
Here are some fresh ideas:
28/6/14:
1. An art tv show for kids streamed online. More details in a separate blog.
2. Mr & Little Miss Action/Snap cards
3. £1 challenge - find a thousand things to sell for a £1. Currently in progress here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152039245292723.1073741832.720977722&type=1&l=2658dde162
4. An investigator bee called Anoushka (?) who is a solitary bee - she helps the other creatures in her glen. So far, the cases have been - a missing beehive, the burning of Mrs Ladybird's house, the a missing ant trail.
----------------------------------------------------
Well, there has been some movement on the ideas list. I've made a first draft of Digger vs the Ball, a car party is happening this Sunday and April will see a fairy party where we're making our own wings and vanquishing a dragon in the garden. (ooh! Must buy chalk for the castle!)
14/03/14:
1. Organise a silent disco at work... during the day!
2. A colouring book featuring characters from fairytales but mixed up in each other's stories (very 2012 I suppose what with Fables/Once Upon A Time/Grimm...)
3. Have a beer and cake party
---------------
19/02/14:
1. Throw a Mad Hatter's Club Night in Ely
2. Throw a splatter party, car party, foam party for my kid(s)
03/02/14:
1. A-Z of Mammals / Insects / Reptiles... etc picture book
2. Height Chart of Mythical Creatures (I'm as tall as a fairy! Gnome! Hobbit!)
3. Height Chart of Animals (I'm as tall as a pig - using real height stats)
4. Throw a home-made Articulate! party
5. More Turbulent ideas that need to get beyond the sketchbook
19/01/14:
- The Dragon who didn't know what to eat.
- Little Red Riding Hood saves the Day
- Just Right
- Make a tubular bells out of the clothesline with thrown away tubes
- Make a waterwall bath toy using suction cups and various trays, tubes and bottles...
- Ely Bub Hub!
6/01/14:
- A to Z of mythical creatures colouring book
- Portrait: Dreaming man
- Painting of Plate as a Little fairy
- A pop-up soft play place in Ely - once a month or a fortnight - a random place will have a soft-play area for under 5s
- World Bread Day - in ELY! Inspired by Sarah & Duck - surely this is possible? I see it on Cherry Hill, imagine the smells wafting into the City... with everyone picnicking on blankets, chomping away...
- the Blue Daisy Store - selling cloth nappies, green disposables, Cheeky Wipes, cloth pads, with the Cafe that offers gluten-free, diabetic friendly food. Comfy armchairs/rocking chairs for nursing mothers...
- My messages to the world: --- have more parties - without the work!
- I'd love to:
- organise kid's parties and small grown-up soirees...
- write stories
- design brand identities for microbusinesses & charities
- Get paid for just coming up with creative solutions to everyday problems
- organise a RAWK/D&B/DANCE night in Ely called CLUB SEAL (already got the logo!)
Designs I would like to actually see outside my head
- Fallen angel wings
- Turbulence - Faces
- Hardy Plasterers
- HM Cake N Bake
- Mr Vantastic
The stories I've told myself
- How Bella Got Her Stripes Back
- Digger vs the Ball
- The Witch of the Fens: Badger's story
- Inspector May "Mayhem" Chen and the Missing Lie Detector
- How Mayhem Got Her Name (it involves a fireworks factory...)
- Digger vs the Worm
- Digger vs the Cloud
Tuesday 29 April 2014
Taking too much on
So I am living in interesting times. Some of which is not of my own doing, the rest... well, I had started them without realising that the bad stuff was just around the corner.
So the bad stuff:
- our landlord has given us 2 months' notice
- I have reached my tolerance threshold at my day job
- Taxes are really taxing! Especially when they're not yours! Grrr
The good stuff:
- I am now an Usborne Book Organiser and looking forward to having book parties
- The first page of Elybubhub is up
- I've made contact with a person who could really get the Mad Hatter's Party off the ground
- A leaflet re-design is going well
- I'm at the research / sketch stage for a cake designer's logo
The fairy party didn't happen - everyone was ill - but the car party was a hit. It was followed by an obstacle course in the park which involved a lot of running and laughing! Next - hill rolling!
I'm enjoying season 2 of Person of Interest - it's awesome!
So the bad stuff:
- our landlord has given us 2 months' notice
- I have reached my tolerance threshold at my day job
- Taxes are really taxing! Especially when they're not yours! Grrr
The good stuff:
- I am now an Usborne Book Organiser and looking forward to having book parties
- The first page of Elybubhub is up
- I've made contact with a person who could really get the Mad Hatter's Party off the ground
- A leaflet re-design is going well
- I'm at the research / sketch stage for a cake designer's logo
The fairy party didn't happen - everyone was ill - but the car party was a hit. It was followed by an obstacle course in the park which involved a lot of running and laughing! Next - hill rolling!
I'm enjoying season 2 of Person of Interest - it's awesome!
Friday 14 March 2014
Ideas 2
Well, there has been some movement on the ideas list. I've made a first draft of Digger vs the Ball, a car party is happening this Sunday and April will see a fairy party where we're making our own wings and vanquishing a dragon in the garden. (ooh! Must buy chalk for the castle!)
14/03/14:
1. Organise a silent disco at work... during the day!
2. A colouring book featuring characters from fairytales but mixed up in each other's stories (very 2012 I suppose what with Fables/Once Upon A Time/Grimm...)
3. Have a beer and cake party
---------------
19/02/14:
1. Throw a Mad Hatter's Club Night in Ely
2. Throw a splatter party, car party, foam party for my kid(s)
03/02/14:
1. A-Z of Mammals / Insects / Reptiles... etc picture book
2. Height Chart of Mythical Creatures (I'm as tall as a fairy! Gnome! Hobbit!)
3. Height Chart of Animals (I'm as tall as a pig - using real height stats)
4. Throw a home-made Articulate! party
5. More Turbulent ideas that need to get beyond the sketchbook
19/01/14:
- The Dragon who didn't know what to eat.
- Little Red Riding Hood saves the Day
- Just Right
- Make a tubular bells out of the clothesline with thrown away tubes
- Make a waterwall bath toy using suction cups and various trays, tubes and bottles...
- Ely Bub Hub!
6/01/14:
- A to Z of mythical creatures colouring book
- Portrait: Dreaming man
- Painting of Plate as a Little fairy
- A pop-up soft play place in Ely - once a month or a fortnight - a random place will have a soft-play area for under 5s
- World Bread Day - in ELY! Inspired by Sarah & Duck - surely this is possible? I see it on Cherry Hill, imagine the smells wafting into the City... with everyone picnicking on blankets, chomping away...
- the Blue Daisy Store - selling cloth nappies, green disposables, Cheeky Wipes, cloth pads, with the Cafe that offers gluten-free, diabetic friendly food. Comfy armchairs/rocking chairs for nursing mothers...
- My messages to the world: --- have more parties - without the work!
- I'd love to:
- organise kid's parties and small grown-up soirees...
- write stories
- design brand identities for microbusinesses & charities
- Get paid for just coming up with creative solutions to everyday problems
- organise a RAWK/D&B/DANCE night in Ely called CLUB SEAL (already got the logo!)
Designs I would like to actually see outside my head
- Fallen angel wings
- Turbulence - Faces
- Hardy Plasterers
- HM Cake N Bake
- Mr Vantastic
The stories I've told myself
- How Bella Got Her Stripes Back
- Digger vs the Ball
- The Witch of the Fens: Badger's story
- Inspector May "Mayhem" Chen and the Missing Lie Detector
- How Mayhem Got Her Name (it involves a fireworks factory...)
- Digger vs the Worm
- Digger vs the Cloud
Friday 7 March 2014
Full-time mum for a week!
This week I have been on leave. The idea was to nurse my somewhat strained relationship with my husband. Instead, I found myself spending practically every minute with my daughter1. It was wonderful! And is still continuing to be so...
So far we have been to playgroups, met up with friends, spent hours wandering around town and the parks. At one point, we ended up sitting on the edge of an old reclaimed quarry watching the water birds and squirrels. We also got slightly lost and had to ring daddy to come pick us up!
I saw first hand how she took to pre-school, played with other kids and how much she loved being with her parents.
She's now started to "keep" secrets. I am not sure how to take that one but one of the secrets was a joke, "When I was really, really little, I drank vodka from your boobs!" Apparently our jokes are secret and she won't tell them to others.
And of course, yesterday, we found nits! Daddy and I had a little argument about whether they were really nits as she had a scabby scalp. Not sure what that's all about but she's had that since she was little. It doesn't bother her one iota.
Anyway, today is Friday, and then it will be the weekend and then I will go back to being a worker bee. I like my job but I do wish I could be both - I am working on making that happen.
As for my adult relationship, that's more complicated than I thought. And what I had originally planned to do is just not going to cut it.
1. I have also spent most mornings catching up with Chuck Season 5 - they had SO much fun making that! And the evenings reading "Whispers Underground" by Ben Aaronovitch. Jim Butcher fans will get a kick out of this: at a fairy market, they order 'Macs', brown bottled beer imported a crate at a time from a microbrewery in America.
Wednesday 19 February 2014
Ideas!
I attended a talk by Will Self years ago, and the thing he said that stuck most with me was to pity the person who steals your idea. Because you can always come up with new ones while they... well, they have to steal them!
So as part of the ongoing mission to transform, I've decided to throw my ideas out there. And keep adding to the list...
19/02/14:
1. Throw a Mad Hatter's Club Night in Ely
2. Throw a splatter party, car party, foam party for my kid(s)
03/02/14:
1. A-Z of Mammals / Insects / Reptiles... etc picture book
2. Height Chart of Mythical Creatures (I'm as tall as a fairy! Gnome! Hobbit!)
3. Height Chart of Animals (I'm as tall as a pig - using real height stats)
4. Throw a home-made Articulate! party
5. More Turbulent ideas that need to get beyond the sketchbook
19/01/14:
- The Dragon who didn't know what to eat.
- Little Red Riding Hood saves the Day
- Just Right
- Make a tubular bells out of the clothesline with thrown away tubes
- Make a waterwall bath toy using suction cups and various trays, tubes and bottles...
- Ely Bub Hub!
6/01/14:
- A to Z of mythical creatures colouring book
- Portrait: Dreaming man
- Painting of Plate as a Little fairy
- A pop-up soft play place in Ely - once a month or a fortnight - a random place will have a soft-play area for under 5s
- World Bread Day - in ELY! Inspired by Sarah & Duck - surely this is possible? I see it on Cherry Hill, imagine the smells wafting into the City... with everyone picnicking on blankets, chomping away...
- the Blue Daisy Store - selling cloth nappies, green disposables, Cheeky Wipes, cloth pads, with the Cafe that offers gluten-free, diabetic friendly food. Comfy armchairs/rocking chairs for nursing mothers...
- My messages to the world: --- have more parties - without the work!
- I'd love to:
- organise kid's parties and small grown-up soirees...
- write stories
- design brand identities for microbusinesses & charities
- Get paid for just coming up with creative solutions to everyday problems
- organise a RAWK/D&B/DANCE night in Ely called CLUB SEAL (already got the logo!)
Designs I would like to actually see outside my head
- Fallen angel wings
- Turbulence - Faces
- Hardy Plasterers
- HM Cake N Bake
- Mr Vantastic
The stories I've told myself
- How Bella Got Her Stripes Back
- Digger vs the Ball
- The Witch of the Fens: Badger's story
- Inspector May "Mayhem" Chen and the Missing Lie Detector
- How Mayhem Got Her Name (it involves a fireworks factory...)
- Digger vs the Worm
- Digger vs the Cloud
Tuesday 28 January 2014
Mummy, why do we live on Earth?
My 3-year old asked me that over the phone when I was at work! As a first time mum, it completely blew me away. I couldn't help smiling the rest of the day.
When I got home, the answer I gave was that we couldn't live on the other planets (too hot, too cold, no air, no water etc) and that the earth created us. She asked even more searching questions before being distracted by food! And my bandaged arm (I'd had my implant removed yesterday - the GP had to dig around a bit and left a significant hole.)
She then wanted to look at pictures of blood! She had already been fascinated by blood before - in her words, "Blood is very interesting!". We talked about red blood cells, platelets and white blood cells... then we went on about ear wax and snot!
Sadly she was completely wide awake until midnight.
Ah well...
Tuesday 21 January 2014
I am writing this in between coughing up a spleen. Damn cold virus.1
I've been inspired this morning by Joanna Walsh who started the #readwomen2014 meme.2
And since I love lists, here is my list of women writers I have on my shelves:
1. Ellen Kushner
Swordspoint; The Fall of the Kings; Priviledge of the Sword; Thomas the Rhymer
Looking at the list of titles they do look like romances, but I assure you they are not. Romantic yes, in that they are full of sword-fights, schemes, and bloody freedom-fighting. There is emphatically NO bodice-ripping to be found.
2. Sheri S Tepper
Just a selection of my favourites: Grass; The Gate to Women's Country; Family Tree; A Plague of Angels; The Awakeners; The Companions
Sci-Fi fans if you've not read her before (and do ignore the blurbs on the backs of the books - for some reason they write them like romances!) you would like her if you like Robert Silverberg and Orson Scott Card. Particularly Grass and The Companions.
3. Esther Friesner
She's better known for her shorts and her editorial prowess. If you want a witty good laugh, seek her out in various anthologies. The Chicks In Chainmail series is just superb and I wish I could find them... (they're packed away in a box somewhere. Oh yes, 18 months on and we're still haven't unpacked.)
4. Octavia E Butler
Parable of the Talents; Wild Seed; Clay's Ark
As a black writer, Butler's stories often explore social challenges within a futuristic context. Her brand of sci-fi would suit you if you liked Brave New World and Fahrenheit 451.
5. Kate Griffin
A Madness of Angels; The Midnight Mayor
Wonderful urban fantasy set in a throbbing, grungy, hungry London. Griffin's writing is visceral, rhythmic and for me, had the power of a undertow. I fell in love from page 1 of Madness.
I have to go work now3... but other female authors you should consider reading this year:
- Janet Evanonich - hapless bounty hunter mysteries - pick up a Stephanie Plum book - Takedown Twenty is a fun read
- Angela Carter - Nights at the Circus
- Margaret Atwood - The Handmaid's Tale
- Hilary Mantel - Wolf Hall; Bring Up the Bodies
- Erin Morgenstern - The Night Circus
- Sandi Toksvig - Whistling for Elephants; Flying Under Bridges
- Lynne Truss - Eats, Shoots and Leaves
- Kate Fox - Watching the English
3 Yup, still not emancipated. Yet. I think it will happen this year.
Sunday 19 January 2014
Developments in the cocoon
The challenge has been taken up!
In the first thread, a friend (A*) and I challenged each other to take the first step towards being a free range human1.
Mine was to see if I could get paid planning parties - I got my first "work experience" assignment - planning a baby shower for someone I don't really know. If that goes well... idea tested! Start doing!
His was to get some side projects as a Linux Administrator. If that's your thing, go here: http://www.theeternalwanderer.com/
I also got thinking about all the other things I love doing: designing brands, writing stories and doing all sorts of stuff... and got a second challenge: to rebrand a good friend's cake making enterprise. Now we're really cooking!
Next thing I know, a side project that's been percolating for while finally took a real step forward.
Some friends and I had been talking about a local website dedicated to new parents looking for activities for their young family as web searches just threw up too many options and none were reliable. What we were missing was a tech genius who could build us a site to our specifications. Step forward A*!
It's all terribly exciting!
1 http://www.free-range-humans.com/
In the first thread, a friend (A*) and I challenged each other to take the first step towards being a free range human1.
Mine was to see if I could get paid planning parties - I got my first "work experience" assignment - planning a baby shower for someone I don't really know. If that goes well... idea tested! Start doing!
His was to get some side projects as a Linux Administrator. If that's your thing, go here: http://www.theeternalwanderer.com/
I also got thinking about all the other things I love doing: designing brands, writing stories and doing all sorts of stuff... and got a second challenge: to rebrand a good friend's cake making enterprise. Now we're really cooking!
Next thing I know, a side project that's been percolating for while finally took a real step forward.
Some friends and I had been talking about a local website dedicated to new parents looking for activities for their young family as web searches just threw up too many options and none were reliable. What we were missing was a tech genius who could build us a site to our specifications. Step forward A*!
It's all terribly exciting!
1 http://www.free-range-humans.com/
Co-sleeping, nudity and breastfeeding a toddler
I've been meaning to write about this for a while. Mainly because it strikes me every night just how amazing it is. By "it", I mean co-sleeping with my daughter.
I go to sleep with her at my breast, and in the wee wee hours, when I am inexplicably awake, I turn and there she is, all angelic in the moonlight. I am so filled with love - every night, she reminds me that we have a little factory of joy1.
Many parents I know just don't do it and I often wonder if they had simply followed convention without really thinking about it when preparing for a new baby. You know, 'We're having a baby! We must have a nursery, a cot etc etc'. I admit, I fell into that way of thinking because, well, I was panicking slightly to be honest. First time mother, no immediate family around, not many old friends in the vicinity - so you go with the wisdom of those around you.
OK, OK, those of you who know me will scoff. I sort of fell into that way of thinking in the sense that I thought, "I guess we should have a nursery" when someone asked if we'd got it ready. That was immediately followed by "Why do we need a nursery again?" So we didn't. I was adamant that she would sleep in our room as it meant I would be able to respond quickly. She did have a cot... until I got fed up with having to get her out of her cot. Eventually, we just dispensed with the cot and now she sleeps with us.
I guess it's easier for us as we've always slept on mattresses on the floor. My husband liked it and I didn't mind either way (I could sleep pretty much anywhere). So we joined up a couple of mattresses on the floor and we had a luxuriously huge "bed".
She's 3 now and still sleeps with us. She has claimed the spare room as hers, but that's really all talk. Where she sleeps is where we are.
I guess a few questions arise: how do you and your husband have sex? Answer: We try to have 'mummy-daddy' time - you don't have to have sex at night in bed!
What about nudity? We are quite casual nudists and it makes it easier to teach her about what are private parts. We aren't ashamed of our bodies so we're teaching her that she shouldn't be ashamed of hers. Children are naturally curious about their bodies and what the other sex looks like. She knows what a willy/penis is and what a fanny is, that she's a girl, Daddy is a boy and Mummy is a woman (I have boobies!)2. When it's time to cover up, she'll let me know by the way she acts (wanting to change in behind closed doors etc). When she does, so will we in front of her. Dr Sears gives practical advice about sexuality and I whole-heartedly agree. See here: http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/parenting/child-rearing-and-development/sexuality
Shouldn't she learn how to sleep on her own? She does - if she's tired and wants a nap, she just curls up somewhere comfy. She does that when she's with relatives. I have no doubt that she'll want her own bed and her own room. And when she does, she will let us know. (She knows that other children have their own rooms and I suspect she feels slightly sorry for them.)
Oh, and I am still breastfeeding. I am not forcing it on her, she still wants it. It's a great comfort to her and I don't mind in the least. I see signs that she'll be giving it up soon but I'd like it to be her choice.
What is she like? She's amazingly articulate, adventurous, curious about everything, likes all sorts of food, sleeps well at night, laughs and cries in equal measure because she's an emotional creature, a little bit bossy, but knows when to back down, polite and likes mess. Just like her parents!
1 Tim Lott, writing in the Guardian http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/jan/17/has-having-children-made-me-happier-open-university
2 She also knows about ear drums, what the various bits of her body is called including things like ribs, liver, kidneys, shin, thighs, how our body uses food, what snot is, why we have ear wax and bogeys and why we have eyebrows. And she's learning more every day. She's utterly astonishing.
I go to sleep with her at my breast, and in the wee wee hours, when I am inexplicably awake, I turn and there she is, all angelic in the moonlight. I am so filled with love - every night, she reminds me that we have a little factory of joy1.
Many parents I know just don't do it and I often wonder if they had simply followed convention without really thinking about it when preparing for a new baby. You know, 'We're having a baby! We must have a nursery, a cot etc etc'. I admit, I fell into that way of thinking because, well, I was panicking slightly to be honest. First time mother, no immediate family around, not many old friends in the vicinity - so you go with the wisdom of those around you.
OK, OK, those of you who know me will scoff. I sort of fell into that way of thinking in the sense that I thought, "I guess we should have a nursery" when someone asked if we'd got it ready. That was immediately followed by "Why do we need a nursery again?" So we didn't. I was adamant that she would sleep in our room as it meant I would be able to respond quickly. She did have a cot... until I got fed up with having to get her out of her cot. Eventually, we just dispensed with the cot and now she sleeps with us.
I guess it's easier for us as we've always slept on mattresses on the floor. My husband liked it and I didn't mind either way (I could sleep pretty much anywhere). So we joined up a couple of mattresses on the floor and we had a luxuriously huge "bed".
She's 3 now and still sleeps with us. She has claimed the spare room as hers, but that's really all talk. Where she sleeps is where we are.
I guess a few questions arise: how do you and your husband have sex? Answer: We try to have 'mummy-daddy' time - you don't have to have sex at night in bed!
What about nudity? We are quite casual nudists and it makes it easier to teach her about what are private parts. We aren't ashamed of our bodies so we're teaching her that she shouldn't be ashamed of hers. Children are naturally curious about their bodies and what the other sex looks like. She knows what a willy/penis is and what a fanny is, that she's a girl, Daddy is a boy and Mummy is a woman (I have boobies!)2. When it's time to cover up, she'll let me know by the way she acts (wanting to change in behind closed doors etc). When she does, so will we in front of her. Dr Sears gives practical advice about sexuality and I whole-heartedly agree. See here: http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/parenting/child-rearing-and-development/sexuality
Shouldn't she learn how to sleep on her own? She does - if she's tired and wants a nap, she just curls up somewhere comfy. She does that when she's with relatives. I have no doubt that she'll want her own bed and her own room. And when she does, she will let us know. (She knows that other children have their own rooms and I suspect she feels slightly sorry for them.)
Oh, and I am still breastfeeding. I am not forcing it on her, she still wants it. It's a great comfort to her and I don't mind in the least. I see signs that she'll be giving it up soon but I'd like it to be her choice.
What is she like? She's amazingly articulate, adventurous, curious about everything, likes all sorts of food, sleeps well at night, laughs and cries in equal measure because she's an emotional creature, a little bit bossy, but knows when to back down, polite and likes mess. Just like her parents!
1 Tim Lott, writing in the Guardian http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/jan/17/has-having-children-made-me-happier-open-university
2 She also knows about ear drums, what the various bits of her body is called including things like ribs, liver, kidneys, shin, thighs, how our body uses food, what snot is, why we have ear wax and bogeys and why we have eyebrows. And she's learning more every day. She's utterly astonishing.
Sunday 12 January 2014
The first thread
And so I take the first step towards actually doing something with the mini-mountain of ideas taking up room in my head.
The first challenge: get this blog up and running!
This is the follow on from my previous blog about raising a child, getting out of debt and moving house. Read it here
September 2012 was when I stopped - mainly because we were out of debt (well, mostly!) and we'd moved. But the raising the child part - ah! That is a wonderful work in progress!
We've been busy "settling" in into our new home - it's been...
interesting.
I am trying to work out if I want to tell all about the various mental illnesses that plague our house. In short, the mental illnesses played a significant role in making our lives interesting. I'll get back to you on that.
The worst thing in 2013 involved a number of meltdowns. But you know what? They led to lovely things and even lovelier things.
Some of the best things that came out was counselling, Marianne Cantrell and the 6-Week Club. But more about those in later posts.
Second challenge: test an idea. So here's me testing.
Lately, I've found that I love organising parties and they've been successful ones too. Let's see where this takes me!
Need to organise a party but would rather someone else do it? Then message me with your email address and let's talk!
Double A: the gauntlet is thrown!
The first challenge: get this blog up and running!
This is the follow on from my previous blog about raising a child, getting out of debt and moving house. Read it here
September 2012 was when I stopped - mainly because we were out of debt (well, mostly!) and we'd moved. But the raising the child part - ah! That is a wonderful work in progress!
We've been busy "settling" in into our new home - it's been...
interesting.
I am trying to work out if I want to tell all about the various mental illnesses that plague our house. In short, the mental illnesses played a significant role in making our lives interesting. I'll get back to you on that.
The worst thing in 2013 involved a number of meltdowns. But you know what? They led to lovely things and even lovelier things.
Some of the best things that came out was counselling, Marianne Cantrell and the 6-Week Club. But more about those in later posts.
Second challenge: test an idea. So here's me testing.
Lately, I've found that I love organising parties and they've been successful ones too. Let's see where this takes me!
Need to organise a party but would rather someone else do it? Then message me with your email address and let's talk!
Double A: the gauntlet is thrown!
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