Jekyll and Hyde girl

Dear Little Miss,

Now you are 2 your personality is really starting to take shape as you assert yourself around the house. You are a wonderful mother's little helper as I have noticed things being tidied away. The toothbrushes that are brought out to the living room most mornings to get the teeth clean (as that’s easier than getting the teeth to the bathroom) are neatly placed back by the sink. I have had to do a double take, thinking how did they get there? The shoes that get thrown off at the end of the day, are neatly lined up along the wall.

You like nothing better than putting the right DVD back in its case and putting it in the draw where they all belong. You have taken it upon yourself to unpack B’s lunch box after school and return the freezie block to the freezer, rubbish to the bin and lunchbox into the kitchen sink. What a helper you are to have around the house.

However there is another side to your personality that we are getting to know that does concern me. Thankfully this side only shows itself occasionally. Let me introduce the NO side, as your answer to every question I ask you is NO. 

Little Miss its breakfast time.
No

Do you want some toast?
No

Do you want a crumpet?
No

Do you want a banana?
No

Do you want some rock melon?
No

Do you want some strawberries?
No

And then because I want to test you I ask,
Do you want some chocolate?
No

Oh really?? I think, so this isn’t about food, this is about you having some control over your little life, because then you say

Chocolate….

A variation on the No theme is I’m not.

Little Miss eat your breakfast
I’m not.

Little Miss don’t take the washing off the line please
I’m not.

We also hear, I’ll do it
Lets put your shoes on
I’ll do it

Let’s brush your teeth
I’ll do it

Lets get you ready for the bath
I’ll do it

It is amazing to watch you learn your own mind, as well as test the minds of those around you.

I love every side of you.

From Mummy

xxx

Zombie Chicken Award

Wow! How flattering that a fellow blogger would brave a pack of zombie chickens to read this blog. Thank you so much 40notout, I feel honoured.













“The blogger who receives this award believes in the Tao of the zombie chicken – excellence, grace and persistence in all situations, even in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. These amazing bloggers regularly produce content so remarkable that their readers would brave a raving pack of zombie chickens just to be able to read their inspiring words. As a recipient of this world-renowned award, you now have the task of passing it on to at least 5 other worthy bloggers. Do not risk the wrath of the zombie chickens by choosing unwisely or not choosing at all.”


Just so the zombies don't get me I pass this award onto-

Old egg 
For your amazing words, I am really proud of you.

Blakeseven 
Because you are so talented and creative, are we related?

Peggy
You always have something amazing, wise and inspiring to say.

Wrightstuff
The volume of work you produce is awesome.

HybridJ
To let you know we are thinking of you.

Bubbles

I confess, I really look forward to the kids bath time. It marks the beginning of the close of the day for this weary mother. The grime and grot of the day is washed away along with any unpleasantness experienced during the day. The bath tends to change the mood of everyone. Negative ions in the air from the H2O? Maybe, if that's true

I am lucky that B and Little Miss have always loved baths. It will gross them out later in life to know that myself or their Dad often climbs into the tub too. I remember with a big smile on my face the times B and I had regular night time baths when I was heavily pregnant with Little Miss. The bath was just the best place for my achey uncomfortable cumbersome body. B loved to play with various boats, ducks and other floating objects that took refuge on the big baby island.

Speaking of floating objects I have to mention some really disturbing incidences we have had to deal with as parents. And I know that most parents out there would have some experiences that are similar. Recently B got into a nice warm bath only to exclaim, "There's POO in the bath and it isn't mine." 

Sadly for B there was no one else in the bath to take responsibility for the tiny pieces of poo floating around. A lesson for B learnt on the benefits of wiping your bottom properly.

Little Miss is also guilty of pooing during wash time, only her natural accident happened while showering with B. The smell had them out of there in record time. But not until the poo was properly examined and poked. 

At least no one has even eaten poo in this house (as far as I know) yet.

Apologies children, for the embarrassment I  may cause you when you can read this. Hopefully one day you will understand and forgive me.

Growing up

 
Little children are completely loyal to their parents.

To become an adult I have gone through a period of rejecting my parents, feeling disgruntled with them, confronting them, forgiving them for being human and not the superhuman parents of that childhood, to getting to know them again as people, to absolutely loving them as amazing friends I really need in my life.

It’s been a circle of change and growth. Of my growing up. Ending back at a similar point we left off, but much better.

It wasn’t easy and it hurt.

At some point we have to let go and fledge the nest. If we want to be (and raise) confident capable people shouldn't we embrace this act of growing up? Traditional tribes, religious and indigenous peoples have held onto long traditions of initiation into adulthood. For good reasons.

A ceremony to mark the change from child to adult ensures the person is valued as part of its family and wider community. It helps build the confidence of the child, as they have to pass the initiation test in whatever form it is. A ceremony can be looked forward to, planned, talked about, it becomes a landmark in the child's life, bringing together the family in a common goal and focus. 

The Indigenous Australians have many ceremonies including the Mandiwala initiation for boys. The Orthodox Jews have Bar Mitzvah for boys and Bat Mitzvahs for girls. Practicing Christians have Baptism or Confirmation. Many African tribes initiate their young into adulthood by circumcising them.

But for us we don’t practice a religion or have cultural traditions. So I intend to introduce an initiation ceremony into adulthood for my children. I want them to know they are really valued, that it’s a special time in their lives. I want to foster their self confidence so they go forward in life knowing they are capable people.

We had a little practice run last summer.

In the summer school holidays before B started school we thought he should go through a little ceremony to turn into a big school boy, and not a little kid anymore. We pitched a two man tent in the garden and said that to be a real big boy he needed to sleep out in the tent all night. (Dad would join him later) He would have to go to sleep by himself out there. The tent was pitched less than 3 metres from the door to the house. He was excited and very keen to help make up the tent. We made his bed and put some favourite toys in there too. We also made up Daddy's bed in there so he would be reassured that Dad was coming later.

He loved it. Of course there were a few anxious moments after story time, and he came inside a few times to get a drink, an apple and another cuddle, but I am very proud to say he did it. There is nothing like seeing your child be proud of themselves. Well done B you are an amazing big school boy.

I don’t know what we will do to mark the teen hood and adulthood of our children. Some might argue the traditions we have in place like getting a drivers license, completing year 12/HSC, starting your first job or moving out of home could mark this coming of age and they do.

However, I wish to do more than that and mark growing up with a special celebration and ceremony. I would like the ceremony to involve their community in some way, with special roles for special people in their lives. But I am not sure what. I would like to start talking to them about it soon, to build it up.

Any ideas or suggestions would be welcomed - any amusing ones?

Forced Spring Clean

I'm not sure what we've done. I know it’s not really bad in the big BIG scheme of things. But for whatever reason, (karma perhaps) this household has been forced into a spring clean.

1- The dead rat smell in the living room is now unbearable. It's not coming from the couch, we took it apart last night, cleaned out the crumbs, gave it a good wipe over then even went so far as to rip off the lining underneath to inspect inside. Found nothing, except how a couch is made. The pong is also not coming from the rug, it was covered in bi carbonate of soda and moved into another room. The smell isn't from a spill on the floor, its been thoroughly mopped. Twice. The offensive odor is not from the kids play kitchen. All the plastic play food has been washed in the dishwasher and wooden things by hand. The little oven, dishwasher, fridge and hotplates have also had a once over with disinfectant. Many empty play food boxes have been binned. The smell isn’t coming from a cavity wall. A wall panel has been carefully removed and inspected. The smell might be coming from under the deck. OH BUM... 

But that’s not all... 

2- We woke up this morning to find water dripping from a light fitting in the living room. Removing the light fitting and shinning a torch into the ceiling revealed the water source. A box gutter - probably. It rained and dripped into a plastic bucket all day. D got home from a day in the office to clear out the gutters. Will this solve the leak? Only the rain will help us find that out.

3- In the last two days I have broken three items into tiny pieces. It has been months since anything has hit the floor in this house. I broke a glass, no real big deal there. A lime green bowl, annoying as its a set of four but thats life, and a huge black floor vase. OK that sucks. My eyes are fine and I am not on any medication.   

Out came the dust pan and brush yet again.

Supermarket

Dear Little Miss, 

It would seem you are ready to embrace a task people all over the world grapple with, the weekly (or if we are really honest) twice weekly visit to the supermarket. You love it, relish it even, and want it. As you are strapped into your car seat you often raise the question, “Supermarket?" Sadly my answer is all too often, "Yes".

And why wouldn't you like it? Happily you ride the crazy trolley-coaster, bumping and swinging around. Your are fed all kinds of made to measure exotic treats, smiling meat slices, cubes of cheese, mini toasts, and little cups of yogurt.  

A kaleidoscope of colour rushes past, you spot the teaser toys hanging just at the right height for you to touch and exclaim, "I want that."

Old ladies "Goo and Gaa" at you, even old men have pulled faces and tried to win your attention. But it seems the real attraction is the other babies on parade. Toddlers your own size are starred at and assessed. "Baby" you exclaim as another 2 year old trundles past. You both stare at each other and weigh up your spoils. 

Us mothers sigh and search for the fun of it all. Smiles of acknowledgement are passed between us. The choice overwhelms us, the tediousness of hunting down prepackage goodness, collecting up the same foods every week. I try a new supermarket in a neighbouring suburb "just for fun." We go to farmers markets, experience freshness and shop by my conscious.

I am glad you are happy to venture into the world of the Supermarket my little Miss. I am learning to love the art of it too.

Love always from Mummy
xxx

Sick

Gee kids what can I say?

Sorry might be a start, it wasn’t the best day.

But people get sick. It happened to your Mum.

Our plans for the day lay in tatters, I could not run.

Your teeth didn’t get brushed, nor did your hair.

You did nothing but watch TV, sat on a chair.

You wore your pajamas all day with only toast to eat.

You didn’t care that your faces were dirty, or that the dishes weren’t neat.

You didn’t notice the clothes on the floor.

But you noticed me, as I felt poor.

Little Miss so gentle, with a loving pat.

B, you lay with me down on the mat.

You were brave and strong taking care of me.

But that’s wrong, not the way it should be.

Dad came to the rescue as soon as he could.

It was just one day, I am better now, so it’s all good.