My brother is having a baby!

Well, technically my sister in law is actually HAVING the baby…
Fertility technology is pretty good but we haven't advanced quite that far yet!

This will be their first little bub, so to help ease the nerves my brother is exhibiting, I bought him this book:

 

Guaranteed to make you LOL all the way to the maternity ward!

 

It has a section about the baby and a really funny section about the man's take on what the mum is going through!

 

And also this one:

I got a few copies of this one.... hee hee hee!

 

Hilarious!

It’s scary how fast time flies, it was only the other day that I was pregnant with Buzz, reading every book on the market hoping one would teach me how the hell to be a parent, Up the Duff by Kazz Cooke became my bible! Now I look at Buzz already 12yrs old, growing taller every day, shape changing, his voice is starting to break…. They’re not babies for long.

Happy Birthday!!!! I can't believe you're 11...

Dear Gucci,

Where has the time gone? One day you were suddenly here, so tiny - just 5lbs 10oz of squirmy bub looking around the room with your big blue starburst eyes, not crying but just surveying your new world as though you had been here before, mewing softly like a kitten.
You were a little fellow and grew slowly, always observing with your wise eyes waiting until it was your time to shine. You were early to walk and very quick, you loved to run off and eat anything you could find before we could catch you. The friendliest kid on the block, you always greeting anyone that passed with a huge smile. You faced many challenges as you grew, but took them all in your stride and before we knew it you were at school like all the others, running around with your mates and falling in love with your little girlfriends. As you grew you learned how to adapt to the changes around you and you loved it when we moved to the farm, riding bikes and looking for bunnies, always on the hunt for a new adventure.
Everyday you show us how you can be brave and challenge yourself, we are so proud of you, you have grown into a funny, kind young man and are always willing to give everything a go and lend a hand.
Happy 11th birthday Gucci,

xxx love Mum

Blogs, books and why opinions are like fixing engines

I’m sure you have all read ‘Rise of the Mummy Bloggers’ by now and are aware of some people who have nothing better to do than make poorly researched comments and whinge about women who are building careers and making a living from telling their stories. People have been doing this in mainstream media for decades, so why not social media? 

A lot of comments that I read were from people who I imagine wouldnt hesitate to check google if they had a problem with their car engine.

 I would like to point out that they might just come accross a blog  in their search from a bloke who replaced the thingy watsit on the engine but it turned out it didnt fit the way it should but his story tells of how he fixed it anyway using a garden hose and a bobby pin, you know stuff you don't find in the manual.

I have a problem with a teething toddler and I dont want to read give them a teething ring for $4.99 I want to read somebodies personal account of how and why the red star shaped teething ring is better than the blue one and why, and also that yes they are goddamn tired after not sleeping in two days thankyouverymuch.

The key point Im trying to make is we want information that is not just useful but that we relate to, when we relate we feel validated and it makes us feel NORMAL. Blogs give us that somebody to relate to, and its really nice to feel normal especially after 48hrs of no sleep.

The world of mainstream media is slowly catching on to just how powerfully influential the average person armed with a computer can really be. The blog has become a valuable tool for teaching the world that as individuals we ALL have a story. Our own feelings and emotions are just as important as those of everybody else. By sharing our stories with each other we have the ability to create networks of support that span the world over, we have the power to teach people in all walks of life and at all ends of the globe.

We will like some blogs and not others and other people will like the ones we hate and loath the ones we love - thats the beauty of it. There is something for everyone out there, if you don't like it you dont have to take the book back to the store for a refund, you can just move on. Simple.

As for monatising? As long as there is money, there will be marketing and the ads we see in the magazines and the newspaper are really no different to those on the blog, the main difference between the two forms of media lies in accessability and the artical itself.

The magazine or newspaper lays down a carefully edited and re edited story designed to sell to the majority and make a profit for the company. 

The blog gives an oppertunity to view the unscripted world through the eyes of one other person, raw and real.

Like it or not the internet has changed the world, we are more powerful as individuals than we have ever been before, information about anything and everything is literally at our fingertips whenever we want it. We have been given the opportunity to embrace this change, to better appreciate the diversity around us and encourage true equality in this great planet we all live in.

When you blog don’t be afraid to speak up for yourself out of fear of a few negative comments, there will always be people who are validated by your voice no matter how small. Remember, when combined our small voices become large and loud and if we all speak together, we will be heard!

A Voice That Cannot Be Broken

Sometimes as writers, our greatest fear is misinterpretation.

Eden Riley wrote this post about having her words manipulated by a magazine and it got me thinking again, as so many of her posts do these days.

Magazines, newspapers, television segments - they are all like a game of Chinese whispers, you tell your story through an interpreter whos job it is to make a socially acceptable and profitable story for their company, the end result is often far from the truth.

When someone else changes your words – usually to benefit themselves’ - it cuts like a knife. In mainstream media I have had my words twisted, added too and downright lied about and it feels like a massive betrayal of character even when the reader is none the wiser. I think that is why I have grown to love blogging.

The blog is a unique form of media, it’s real.

The blog is our chance to have a voice, an unedited story or opinion about what matters to us. Sure some people won’t like it, there are always going to be those that scrutinise your life, methods and motive but it really doesn’t matter – in the grand scheme of things people will always read what they relate to, empathise with or lets them escape their reality for a while, so tell your story.

I can’t speak for you- you own your words, not me. But I know that no matter how honest, and how emotionally I write I haven't given away everything, I am still a private person and nobody could ever really know what its’ like to walk in my shoes, as for every word I write there are 1000 tears, 1000 laughs and 1000 thoughts that I don’t ever mention.

The words I don’t write are not lies by omission, they are my story to tell -or not- in my own time.

Sometimes we have to be strong and remember why we started writing in the first place, remember the thoughts going through your mind the day you wrote that first awkward post and think about how much you have grown since then, how many friends you have met and how much perspective you have gained in new areas.

You represent your own blog as your place to speak and be heard, and that is a voice that cannot be broken. happy writing.

Awards and people who deserve them more than I do

Well how lucky am I? I have been given a Versitile Blogger Award!

Although I am not really a worthy candidate, I have actually been given 3  ( you guys are so sweet)– but typical me is only getting around to thanking my lovely awarders now.

So without further ado I would like to thank the lovely Janelle from ‘Me & Mia’, E. From ‘Whining at the World’ and Lene from ‘Musings of Another Mother’ for this honour. All wonderful blogs and well worth adding to your reading list!

This is one of those awards that dictates me to tell you guys 7 things about myself you don’t already know...  Ok here goes:

1.       Due to my apparently deprived childhood, I have never seen a single episode of the Smurfs nor have I watched Mary Poppins and I only saw Star Wars for the first time last year – this is apparently abnormal and a problem to most people.

2.       I am absolutely terrified of dentists, the last time I went was when I was 11 and I plan to keep it that way. – However I am a hypocrite and make the kids go every year.

3.       I don’t drink alcohol. At all.

4.       I have worked in a pet shop most of my life – and before you get all animal rights activist on me, we are one of the good ones who actually CARE about the animals and I am never afraid to refuse sale of a pet to someone I don’t think will be a worthy owner.

5.       I was a teenage mother (gasp!) and I have a very special hatered towards those who judge people without full understanding of their circumstances.

6.   I have trouble finishing what I start.

7.        

 I would also like to share the love and nominate 13 truly awesome blogs for this prestigious award, even though many probably already have it:

DAISY ROO & TWO:  Ms Daisy mother of Roo (& Two) has proven herself an amazing writer, capturing the hearts and minds of many readers around the world as she tells us personal tales of her life as a wife and mother, her posts are always enjoyable, often funny, sometimes sad and her proven versatility as a blogger more than qualifies her for this award.  

INK PAPER PEN:  I am quite certain that Gill has had this award bestowed upon her before, probably multiple times, but I would like to throw it at her again anyhow. Gill is the brain child behind Write On Wednesdays, an online writers group that lets us have fun, challenge ourselves and learn new tactics to improve our writing skills each week. Anyone can join in W.O.W just head over to Ink Paper Pen for the weekly brief and linky yourself up!

MEANINGLESS MEANDERINGS OF A MAD MOTHER: Mad Mother is mother to two gorgeous boys (Boy 1 & Boy 2)  Boy 1 being on the Autism spectrum, we share in the families challenges and joy, as adversity is overcome and her stories are a constant reminder of the important things in life. With a very clear talent in writing, the inspiration Mad Mother sends out through her words is a gift to all of her readers.

CANDYS FAMILY: Now Candy is one amazing lady, police women turned fulltime mother and proud Goulburn resident she tells us tales of the ups and downs of her life, always with the ability to make us laugh as she wrangles seven (count em 7!) beautiful children, three of whom are on the Autism Spectrum.

THE HOUSE THAT A-M BUILT: Anne Marie is a lady of incredible strength, sharing with her readers images of beauty and tales of amazing personal courage as she raises her two beautiful sons. She designed and built a beautiful house (the envy of many) and now having had a complete change of life circumstances over the last 12 months not only has she has braved the odds and come through shining, she has repeatedly used her blog to help out the less fortunate along the way.

MY LITTLE DRUMMER BOYS: Have you ever dreamed of touring around our beautiful sunburnt land in a caravan? Well right now we can all live vocariously through Trish’s stunning photography and fun stories as she and her gorgeous family tour around Australia.

BABY MAC: While I am quite certain Beth has had this award somewhere amongst many others in her blogger trophy cabinet, I would like to send it out again as I have only recently discovered her blog!  A talented photographer Beth takes us on a tour of her life in a small Australian town through beautiful images and hilarious, fun and often thought provoking words. Baby Mac is a refreshingly honest and very versatile blog to read.

EDENLAND: A lady who needs no introduction and possibly the most well known blogger in the southern hemisphere, Eden Riley has inspired everyone who has every read her. We have cried, laughed and dreamed right along with her and her amazing family as she tells us in unbroken honesty of the lessons life has thrown at her.  Eden makes the rest of us better people through her writing, she truly is a versatile blogger.

WHERES MY GLOW? ‘Glowie’ as she is fondly known by her followers, despite her moniker is certainly not lacking in the glow department, a despiser of poor grammar and spelling and mother of beautiful son ‘Tricky’ her posts are always a joyful read. From her amusing ability to re-sub title famous film clips to her devotion to blog-flogging Glowless has certainly become one of the shining beacons of the blogging world.

MAXABELLA LOVES: Inspirational till the end and always a versatile blogger, mother of three Maxabella is the person who has taught us all to be grateful for the small things. Blogging about life in general and the home/work balance, her words have a unique way of getting us thinking. Maxabella is also the most amazing party planning person you have ever seen, the photos of some of her events will blow your mind!

MY BIG NUTSHELL: Fairly new to the Blogging scene, in fact with less than a year under her belt Gemma has been a welcome and popular face in the blogosphere, her matter of fact take on life gets you thinking, and frequently laughing. Despite claiming to be “teetering on the edge of insanity’ Gemma is one very real and down to earth lady who’s blog is a pleasure to read.

KEEP CATE BUSY: Cate is at the very end of her 365 days of her inspirational goal to do one thing a day for a year that fills her life with joy, meaning and pride and despite her recent personal battles this mother of three has done an amazing job at it! Well done Cate, thank you for sharing your life with us and I bestow upon you another Versatile Blogger Award for your continued commitment to inspiring yourself and others.

MADAM BI POLAR: Well we all know Saw-hole as 'Woogsworld' staff member extroidonaire but she has now begun her own blog "Madam Bi Polar", a more serious tone in which she discusses her own struggles and triumphs with Bipolar Disorder. A truly inspirational read that offers insight into a world you may know nothing about or be all too familiar with.

Life Without Television



image from here


Imagine, in today’s world, not having a television. Well shock horror, we live it every day.

We lived in the suburbs of a small city and we watched TV like everyone else. The kids came home after school and turned on ‘ABC Kids’, which stayed on until it was time for dinner. I didn’t go out Tuesday nights because I didn’t want to miss ‘Packed to the Rafters’. I never missed an episode of ‘House’ on Wednesdays, I loved Fridays because that was when they played back to back home renovation shows. Our timetables and lives were governed by the network’s programming schedules.

 When we first moved out bush, we had TV reception, then one day after a violent wind storm, a decision was made by the storm gods and it was gone. Just Like that.

No amount of antenna jiggling and tweeking could fix it and each time we pressed the On button, nothing but a black screen stared back at us.

The first week was the hardest, it was like giving up smoking. We paced and grew cranky. Shouts of “there’s nothing to doooo...” rang constantly across the lounge room. For the 3 of the four children that had been partially raised by the television (not something I am proud of) their world had been suddenly turned upside down. 

The Husband eventually came to the realisation that there was a time before TV, and people had survived and were perfectly happy then, so why couldn’t we be?  I had images in black and white of little boys running after hoops with sticks playing over and over in my mind for a while there and was a tad harder to convince, after all he went to work all day and so the lack of TV’s effect on the children and my mood after not having my daily fix of Dr Phil, wasn’t really his problem.

 He said ‘for heaven’s sake we live on a farm now and there is 100 acres to play on.’ He was right of course. So we dug out the bicycles (you know the things with the pedels they say you can’t forget how to ride – a total lie by the way.) We made campfires and ate marshmallows, the kids built teepee style forts out of sticks and dug in the dirt. The family worked together to collect firewood, we built a chicken coop together and now collect fresh eggs every day as a reward. The 8 year old can reverse park a trailer on the back of the ATV which is a skill most TV watching city kids couldn’t do in a pink fit.

So now we thank the storm gods for playing their hand, the kids are better behaved, we spend more time together as a family, we get a lot more done around the farm and The Husband and I have more quality time together after the kids are in bed. So even if the opportunity arose to get television again, we would turn it down in a heartbeat.  After all, we still have the internet!

Does the TV control you? Have you mastered the art of moderation? Do you think you could live without TV for 1 week and would you be prepared to take the challenge, and blog about it?

Back on the Blog Wagon

I was a blogger, and then I stopped.

It wasn’t a bad case of “blog fog” or even my imperfect internet connection that ended my first blogging journey, simply that the reason behind my original need for blogging had gone, my life had changed, acceptance had been achieved and it was time to move on from that phase of my life.

The decision to stop blogging wasn’t a sudden one, I didn’t decide one day that I was done; I just slowly drifted away with my posts becoming fewer and further between.

 I still enjoy catching up with some of those people with whom I blogged, people I had never met and yet had shared some of my most intimate thoughts and sorrows with. I pop by their blogs sometimes, most now also lie dormant, life has changed for them too, their journeys have clearer paths and their support networks now branch into their ‘real’ lives.

I am beginning this blog more for a bit of fun than narrative therapy, as it was before. I have been missing it more and more lately and have been stalking many of you for months, so today I decided to jump back on the blog wagon.

So here I go, wish me luck!