Monday, December 17, 2012

Nine things you didn't know

Nine things you didn't know ....

1. I am a Mills and Boon reader - yes I am, I love the cheesy storylines where the 24 yr old orphan virgin secretary is offered the chance of a lifetime to pretend to be her billionaire Greek Tycoons mystery fiancée. She falls in love, he is in denial at first but the succumbs to her innocent charm, they have a fight/accident/pregnancy and fall out with each other until they discover they can't live without each other. Cue Epilogue where they gaze adoringly at their twin babies as the sun sets.
All in under 2 hrs which is the average time I get in the bath on a Sunday night.
(side note - when I buy a M&B I pretend it's for my Nanna so they don't think I really read them)

2. I am afraid of snakes. Like,  terrified of them. As in - we don't go anywhere off the concrete from Spring to Autumn. I know many are protected species but I don't believe that applies to any that come into my vision. I have never actually come across one but when I do it should consider its 'protected' status nullified.

3. I cry at lots of things. Tears are never far away. News reports, sad or happy movies, watching my kids, it doesn't take much for the hot prickles to start and my eyes well up. It used to bother me, now I am just accepting that my emotions run close to the surface. The downside is, a crappy day at work can have me teary even when I'm trying to have a professional facade.

4.The Vicar Of Dibley is required viewing in our house. It is one show that can make The Man I Married and I both giggle like toddlers. I understand it is irreverent and silly British humour, I think that is exactly why we love it. And Dawn French ROCKS. Yes she does.

5. I don't like chocolate. I really don't. I don't like the feel of it on my tongue. I could happily go for 40 years without another piece of chocolate. Cheese, biscuits, wine and antipasto platter I will fight you to the death for but chocolate you can have. I know.. not normal right?

6. I've had two real boyfriends in my entire life and I married one of them. When I say I don't really understand much about one night stands, I'm not joking. I have no clue. Not one. This means all and any worldliness I may portray is either a big fat fake or I read about it in a book. Probably a Mills and Boon.

7. When I'm swimming in a pool at night I'm pretty sure there are sharks in the dark water. Just saying.

8. I play a stupid game on Facebook called Castleville - when I say stupid I mean awesome and by play I mean that sometimes I need to get up at 3 am to harvest my crops so they don't wither before morning because they have a very short cyber life. I have a cool little Kingdom and I am mistress of my land. TMIM thinks I'm a bit crazy but thats only because I have more castle than him. 

 9. I don't really consider myself a blogger. Which is weird because by the looks of it, I am, in fact, a blogger! But some people take their blogging wayyyyyyy more seriously than me so I think I'm more like a fringe blogger. I doubt I am ever going to get too serious with my blogging so if any of you are waiting for daily posting, don't hold your breath. The only thing I can guarantee  to do daily is pee.



So tell me.. what's your little secret? What don't I know about you?


Sunday, December 16, 2012

Sandy Hook

There are really no words to express my horror and distress at yesterdays terrible news.
Twenty tender hearts taken from this world and with them six brave teachers who tried so hard to protect them.
I can't imagine the hurt and anguish for these families right now.

There is no pretty little picture for you today, no cute quote. I won't use this situation to push my views on gun control, the existance of God or homeschooling.

Hug your kids, tell them you love them. Don't leave them with an angry word.
We truly never know when the last time will be the last time

xxx

Thursday, December 6, 2012

inner voices

Do you listen to your inner voice?
Yesterday one of my favorite facebook pages  had this awesome image in its timeline.



and it got me thinking.
I don't think we listen to ourselves enough.

It seems like every other person on the planet knows better than us, in parenting, in work/life balance, in how to eat properly, exercise right, in how to educate our children, in how to be successful in business and relationships.. in everything. There are 3000 self-help books for every category listed about and another 7000+ e-books if the paper version isn't enough.

Lately there has been 'stuff' in my world and even though my inner voice was telling me to be wary, everyone around me was telling me otherwise. Telling me I was overly cautious, paranoid, looking for excuses...
and then my inner voice was proven true.

Why can't we raise our babies, have relationships and go through menopause without three bookshelves full of Positive parenting, Positive relationships, Embracing the 'new' you and Welcome to womanhood hardcovers written by people with NO MORE QUALIFICATIONS than you or me?
I'm all for asking questions and sharing stories but it would be nice if the entire publishing world wasn't heart-set on convincing us that we are all useless blithering idiots without a clue unless we have volumes 1-8 of 'How to parent your 21st century child'

It's time, my lovely readers that we stop reading other peoples opinions, and we start listening to our own. Parenting by our own compass, building our relationships without the help of Dr Phil (not dissing Phil, I'm sure he's a nice man but he is not my husband nor am I his wife so what works in his house is not relevant in mine).
It's time to stop trying to win friends and influence people through a series of standard steps and actually being discerning about who we make friends with. I don't want to be friends with someone who only wants me as another notch on their "facebook follower" belt.

I am wondering how we can teach our kids to trust their inner voice if we don't trust our own?