Sunday Mish Mash

Tonight's post is a bit of bunch of odds and ends. Little scraps I've been meaning to post, but not worth a title all of their own.

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Firstly, thank you all so much to everyone who commented on my Smug/Crap list post. It's so lovely to get such bloggy-love,and see such support from Mums - no bitchy judgement here girls! I'm glad to see a few Mums who have decided to post their own lists, I really look forward to reading your posts, and hearing about your proud achievements (and commiserating over the stuff that didn't go exactly to plan!).

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I went to see the movie Bran Nue Dae today. I really enjoyed it... sure it has a very convenient ending, heavy on the cheese factor, but it has a joyful, exuberant feeling, some catchy songs and Geoffrey Rush. It also stars Jessica Mauboy (Australian Idol), Ernie Dingo and Missy Higgins, along with a guy called Rocky McKenzie as the main lead. It's nice to see an Australian movie in mainstream cinemas, and it's also nice to see a mainly indigenous cast. Yeah, and it neatly glosses over a lot of the negative history of European treatment of Aborigines, but it touches a little on that treatment via the catchy main recurring song (which I'm still singing) and also alludes to the magic and power that comes from an ancient culture. What it doesn't contain is an explanation for the appaling spelling of the title.

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Whilst I was writing the above, a caught a 'sneak peek' of one of the new shows showing on Channel 9 this year... V.

Is it just me, or does anyone else remember a TV show back in the '80's called this, with an alien race that looked exactly like humans, til they peeled their skin off and they were serpentine and scaly? Yes? No? Maybe the TV exec's think we have a short memory when they market this as a brand new show?

Image from here

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Oh! I got a lovely award today from Dual Mom, unfortunately, she didn't tell me what it's called... but here it is!

According to the Rules, I have to name 10 Things That Make Me Happy, then pass the award on to 10 bloggers. As I have blathered on at length on a similar vein before, I have decided to keep my answers to one-word responses:

• Giggles
• Moscato
• Books
• Cuddles
• Fishies
• Grins
• Chocolate
• Sleep
• Endorphins
• Comments

So I'd like to pass this award onto the following people, all sweet, with varying levels of spice added!

Sharni at Chronicles of Sharnia - a blogging dynamo, future face of NRL and nemisis of Jon Stevens :o)

Caitlyn Nicholas, my muse for all things cooky, chooky and booky.

Katherine Jenkins from Lessons from the Monk I Married - she is who I want to be when I grow up.

Daffy from Batcrap Crazy - she's who I want to be til I grow up. :o)

Alex at Whoa Mumma - one of my first followers, and still keeping me laughing.

Adrienzgirl at Think Tank Momma - sassy, smart and full of useless trivia.

LiLu at LivIt LuvIt - the inventor of TMI Thursday, which I keep meaning to do... hmm.. must get on that train...

Mari-Anne at Counting Coconuts - my inspiration for great playtime activites and Montessori Mumma!

Alliecat at In a Beautiful Pea Green Boat - lovely blogger, and very crafty too!

Cat at Wouldn't it be Loverly - reminding me to make my surroundings beautiful, and showing me some great stuff to do so!


Phew! Done!

My Smug/Crap List

Having just about finished reading Mia Freedman's book, Mama Mia (and having very little on my mind for once that's blog-worthy), I have decided to directly steal an idea from her. I'm sure she won't mind, as she says (about the magazine and TV industry): 'There are no new ideas, only recycled ones'.

The concept of the Smug List and Crap list is that every mother has an internal list in her head, where she judges herself on what she feels she has done well as a mother, and what she feels guilty about.

I was so impressed with Mia's honesty throughout her book, but especially in regards to this. It's really our most vunerable self, admitting what we feel we have failed at within motherhood. I wish more women would be brave enough to admit they feel insecure, and maybe even guilty, over certain aspects of their parenting, instead of engaging in Competitive Mothering and trying to out-do each other with their perfect babies who only eat organic, home-made meals, sleep all night and have learned baby-signing by 3 weeks of age. We should be REAL, talk about the things we are having trouble with, and instead of feeling shamed or inadequate, be supported and encouraged within the tribe.

So in the spirit of bravery and sharing Mia has inspired, here is my Smug / Crap List.

I feel Smug about... you know, I don't like the word smug, I'm going to call it Proud... I feel Proud that:

• I am an engaged Mum, often found sitting on floor, deeply entrenched in whatever game GG and I have cooked up.
  
• GG has lovely manners, is bright, funny, cheeky, charming and happy (mostly). I'm choosing to take credit for this.
  
• I breastfed GG for 10 months, through inverted nipples, intense pain, cracked and bleeding nipples the whole 10 months and 3 bouts of mastitis.
  
• I home-made GG's food with organic vegies for the first year of her life. She still has mainly home-made, nutritious food, with the occasional McDonalds fries or sweet treat to keep life interesting.
  
• I am imaginative and playful, making up silly songs, stories and games to play with GG (or get her to brush her teeth).
  
• We moved back to the Gold Coast mainly for GG, so she could grow up in a big, close, loving family, with lots of access to her grandparents, aunts and cousins. The fact that we love it here is a bonus.
  
• GG is very helpful, something I have developed and encouraged, even though it meant taking 45 mins to empty a dishwasher, endless re-folding of laundry GG has 'helped' me put away and entire mornings spent hanging out one load of laundry. It's paying off nicely now though :o)
  
• I am patient (mostly)(with GG, not other members of humanity), and it actually takes a fair bit for me to get cranky or yell at GG.
  
• I have encouraged GG to have a love of reading and books, like every woman in my family.

I feel Crap that:

• I allowed myself to be scared into a caesarian I now think I probably didn't need. I still feel like I never really 'earned my stripes' by having a 'proper labour'. Actually, I've never experienced labour and I feel like I've missed out on something.
  
• Despite several attempts and short-lived successes, GG is a terrible sleeper, and she has taken to coming into our bed again, and I am too tired and disheartened to stop her.
  
• Despite promising when I started blogging that I would only do it when GG was asleep, I now blog when she is awake and we could be playing together. I actually keep an old laptop under the TV cabinet for GG to play on, whilst I play on my computer.
  
• I wish I listened to my instinct more and refused to believe that GG's screaming as a baby was 'just colic', even when the Doctors told me so. I feel bad that she was 6 months old when she was finally diagnosed with a wheat intolerance, all that pain needlessly inflicted on her.
  
• There are days when GG has had cereal for dinner.
  
• I (like Mia) actually like that GG has a tan. I think she looks so cute and outdoorsy and Aussie with it. Others will point out the potential skin damage.
  
• I pretty much constantly have the TV on in the background. GG doesn't watch a whole lot now, but I'm betting she'll be a TV addict too when she grows up.
  
• Even though I know she has an awesome time, and is gaining great knowledge there, I still feel awful whenever GG cries when I leave her at kindy.
  

So there you have it folks, my innermost feelings about my most important job. I would love for any other Mums to share something they are especially proud of (or a bit guilty about), but there are rules for any commenters - NO JUDGING!!!