Tuesday, June 08, 2010
We stayed close to home today and stayed away from Woolworths (I actually managed to venture there by myself which is always so much easier and so much quicker). Che is doing better and apart from looking a little pale he is his usual self.
A few days ago someone asked me how old he is and it dawned on me that it's only a couple of months till his third birthday. 3. That's so big. He's proving to be a little entertainer who isn't afraid of telling people what he thinks - I admire his confidence and the way he remains completely unaware of social etiquette. If he doesn't want to talk to someone he won't and he's managed to develop this utterly comical snarl/frown that seems to scare people away. With his hands on his hips and the regular tapping of the foot he is coming into his power because, well, he's almost three.
At least he still says:
"I wuv you soooo much muma."
Oh the joy.
Photos taken in the magical garden a few doors down. I told him there were elves in the tree and so each time we visit he calls out to them. Today he thought it would probably work better if he brought his microphone. Ahem!
Labels: close to home , seasons , sick
Monday, June 07, 2010
Just so you know I have no intention of turning this blog into a weather report for the East Coast. But the sun did come out over the weekend and on Saturday morning I leaped to the washing line with baskets of laundry in tow. I had a little giggle to myself, imagining all those mothers in nearby neighbourhoods doing just the same. To be politically correct, I re-imagined fathers hanging washing on the line too.
So the weekend was lovely, simple but nice.
And then this morning I taught a yoga class and afterwards headed to the shops with Che. We were doing our fortnightly grocery shop, Che was a little tired and then all of a sudden, in the middle of Woolworths' fruit & vegie dept he vomits everywhere, I caught most of it, attempted to get a plastic bag from the turny-thing (with one hand because as you can imagine, the other hand was busy) and tried so hard not to curse the twenty or so people around me who just looked the other way.
We left, of course, and my shopping is probably still sitting in the trolley next to the strawberries.
Che's response: "Oh muma, that was really yucky!".
"Yes darling, I know."
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
remedy, ambition and contradiction
We've been cooped up at home with a cold. All three of us are snuffly and coughing and generally miserable. Although it's very autumny and crisp the sun is still bright and welcoming and there have been some lovely warming moments spent on the balcony (all rugged up with a cup of tea in hand). Remedies have come in the form of lemon & honey tea, reading Vogue and the following delicious treats:
- Macro organic crunchy peanut butter (without doubt the best)
- freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
- local mandarins
- rice crackers/corn crackers/ryvitas with avocado, hummus and tomato
- spelt sourdough pumpkin bread (common ground bakery)
The laptop has been open all day long, sitting on the table and I've been writing intermittently. It's a nice way to work actually. Typing in tune with spontaneous bursts of inspiration.
While reading the June issue of Vogue (gorgeous Samantha Harris graces the cover) I stumbled across an article by the fabulous Felicity Loughrey. "Relight My Fire" is about ambition and the loss of it as we age. Within the first paragraph Loughrey states that perhaps her ambition "...fell out with the placenta," (she's a mother of two). It sparked a plethora of thoughts, most in relation to my return to professional writing. It has interested me how many people have expressed their relief that I'm 'using my degree' or embarking on a 'professional journey' again. Because apparently teaching yoga isn't all that recognised in the big wide world of success. Sure it doesn't pay all the bills but it sure does make me a better person/partner/mother/writer.
After three-and-a-half years of living in the beautiful and very protected bubble of pregnancy and motherhood stepping back into the professional game has been daunting and nerve wracking. But it has also sparked my ambition in a way I never anticipated. I'm reading more articles, newspapers and magazines than I have in years. I'm inspired by the people I'm meeting and I've gained confidence in my ability to evoke emotion with words. But does this ambition allow me the time and energy to bake bread, grow a vegie garden and spend countless afternoons at the beach with Che? Theres no way I'll let it stop me being the mother I want to be...I've just got to find a way to make it all work together.
Contradiction is a good way of describing how I feel sometimes. Do you ever have that feeling? For instance, if someone was to ask me how I would describe myself as a mother I would say: "I'm an earth mother with a penchant for designer clothes." I love love love going into the city with some spending money and immersing myself in boutique shops - clothes, bags and T2. And yet there is no way I could live in a city (I've tried before and I found it utterly exhausting). Yoga has encouraged me to simplify and declutter but I'm still a long way off from living simply. I love the opportunity to spend a morning at a local cafe and yet sometimes I think it would be ideal to move far away into the country hillsides and live on a property.
Daniel and I have been watching past episodes of Grand Designs and the most inspiring building we've seen is the Woodman's Cottage in Sussex. It really made us think about how unnecessary all our stuff is and how one day, we would love to live simply and sustain-ably, in-tune with the environment. I just wish I could successfully stifle my deep yearning for new clothes. There-in lies the contradiction.
For now I'll sip my tea and write my dreams and perhaps one day soon, in this very space, you'll read of our leap of faith as we venture into the hillside (sounds romantic, doesn't it?) x
Friday, March 19, 2010
Thanks for all your kind well-wishes. Daniel is all better and now I've come down with a sniffle and a sore throat. I'm not the best in stressful situations - I lose my appetite and survive on nervous energy which is so very unhealthy. So now my body is telling me to slow down, eat up and rest. Which is exactly what I'm doing. Lots of fresh juices, lemon & honey tea (Daniel makes it super strong and just right) and vegie soup. Golden sunshine helps too - I've been stepping outside this morning to soak it all in.
I'm also thinking about writing as a profession again. Teaching yoga is my first choice - it always will be but unfortunately it doesn't make much money. Sure I'm rich in the heart but no so in the wallet. Daniel wants to work a little less and spend more time with Ché, a wish that I would really love to see fulfilled. I'll continue teaching and hopefully I'll be able to find work that means I can do both. I'm a little apprehensive and quite scared about it all actually. I'm trying to not let it weigh me down. I just know what the journalism industry is like and I know it's not going to be heartwarming. It's challenging and while I don't really enjoy being in a space like this, I'll do it because I need to for my family. Because that's what Mumas do.
