"I love kids". Who really means that? I love mine, I like a few others, mostly though I'm ambivalent. At this moment the house is bathed in silence. The cats are hiding as far from little hands as they could be. The 5 children that invaded the house at 9.06am have left. My husband? He escaped at 9.15am favouring a blood test over the screaming. And here is the dilemma and the need for some boundaries...the 4 kids who invade ( sibling pairs ) can't play together in their houses as three of the four parents work shifts, mostly nights. So our house is the beacon of space and warmth. As we get into winter their desire to play inside will increase. So I have have staked my claim as "the worst mom ever"... Yes, he says mom now... And have started blocking their entry. It isn't win win as instead of 5 screaming kids I get one wailing and moaning one, and I can't ask him to leave!
So, my quite Saturday morning didn't happen. I can escape soon for a back massage and reflexology, my birthday present! From me. And the when I get back I get at least I hours silence as husband and small person "need to get me a present". Every year my birthday pops up by surprise, unannounced without warning. Those last minute dashes to the store are inevitable it seems.
Small person is 7 tomorrow so 2 hours at Chuck E Cheese has been bought. Screaming, junk food, jumping and sliding. Just like my house this morning, but at Chuck E's they have a large mouse and coca cola. Small person tells me that the three kids from his class that he invited may bring their siblings! I hope they bring cash too. His chums up the street are all coming and one whispers to me before he left earlier, to tell me what he has bought for a present. "It's only small, some were $25 and my mom said she wasn't paying that, so we got one for $5". Bless them.
In other news, still overweight needing to diet and do yoga. Small person is vey happy at school now, but his effort and output is poor. So he's going back to Smart Club for after school lessons. I'm not a pushy mum ( I still speak English ) seeking A grades. I want him to get at least "satisfactory". He is not happy about the return but hey ho! The cats go into the vets hospital on Monday to be spayed. One has been howling at the boys for 10 days. When they go out to school and work she is silent. Poor cow! US Thanksgiving has seen work turn from frantic and wine inducing, to silent and calm. I spent a lovely 2 days processing paperwork to India; filing and taking training modules. I had two meetings in 2 days and the first 15 mins of each was spent discussing how quite it was. My art is on show at the Alton Mill gallery; the house needs "christmassing up". I have bought plywood and a jigsaw. The project begins later today...photos will follow, of either the front of the house, or us at A&E seeking bandages.
Saturday 29 November 2014
Wednesday 5 November 2014
Remember Remember the 5th of November
It's funny how some things make you nostalgic. For me bonfire night always has fond memories. The Fire works, the bonfire on the village green, sparklers. Love sparklers. We had planned to light some fireworks here in Canada but the local fire service, with the power of telepathy and a keen knowledge of Diwali, headed that off. Notes were delivered to every house last month reminding us that you need a permit for fireworks outside key holidays. Not many folks here know about Guy Fawkes Night, but I guess why should they? My husband explains it using language like "celebrating the thwarting of Catholics trying to blow up parliament" which is factual if a little emotive in today's world. We forget that all those years ago the religion to persecute was Catholicism. Society now having moved on to stigmatize other faiths.
I remember aged 4 or 5 waiting for Dad to get home so that we could light the fireworks. Him trying to light a Catherine Wheel with little success. Going back to try again...never return to a firework Dad. Remember the firework code! That memory is over 40 years old but clear as day in my head. I think nostalgia comes from having a child around. I remember things I did at his age, consciously to try to contextualize and understand his behaviour, and randomly or most likely subconsciously At the oddest times.
Over the last month we have been creating memories, traditions, habits. It is now our tradition to go apple picking the weekend prior to Thanksgiving; to bake pumpkin tarts on Thanksgiving day; to go Trick or Treating for the fun of it; to go for brunch at Denny's on the first Sunday after mid month payday. Then there are the classics - Santa starts watching you from July ( when all the christmas cartoons are on TV) for his naughty/ nice list; no Christmas decorations can go up until after my birthday; the Christmas cake must be made before Grandmas birthday (Nov 25th); The trip to see Santa at the Pioneer village around the 23rd Dec. "do you think he is the real Santa mummy?" Maybe, although he may be a helper as Santa is very busy. "No, he is the real Santa because he was really old!" Okay.
Another memory that stirs at this time of year is watching, with my Grandma, the Remembrance Day service on the BBC. Born around 1903 she lived through both world wars, Granddad fought in WW1, lied about his age and sneaked off at 14 and signed up for the adventure. I have vivid memories of grandma telling me about being given tins of condensed milk during rationing in WW2 and feeling terrified she would get into trouble, only for the bottom of the bag to give way and them all fall out right in front of a copper. I remember dad and her telling me about them arriving home to find that the front door had been blown off by Gerry bombs. I wasn't there, clearly, but it is part of my life. Remembering and respecting are very important to us and we are starting to help small person understand and show respect for history.
We are off to the local Cenotaph on Sunday to pay our respects. Small person with his Beaver Scout troop and me close by. I think that those connections to history are powerful influences. Last week at work someone shared a comic image on the intranet with likely all the best of intentions... A photoshopped picture of Kitchener from WW1 propaganda. It offended me. I mulled over it for some hours...why did it offend me? It felt disrespectful in some way, maybe it was the ignorance of its origins by the sharer that offended me. The apparent lack of of education about recent history offended me. It felt like trampling across graves in a grave yard if that makes any sense. I felt compelled to raise my concerns. Others shared them and the photo was taken down. It rare that stuff bothers me that much but we really do need to understand and remember what others sacrificed so that we can live the lives we want to live.
More upbeat next time I promise :-)
Happy Wednesday
I remember aged 4 or 5 waiting for Dad to get home so that we could light the fireworks. Him trying to light a Catherine Wheel with little success. Going back to try again...never return to a firework Dad. Remember the firework code! That memory is over 40 years old but clear as day in my head. I think nostalgia comes from having a child around. I remember things I did at his age, consciously to try to contextualize and understand his behaviour, and randomly or most likely subconsciously At the oddest times.
Over the last month we have been creating memories, traditions, habits. It is now our tradition to go apple picking the weekend prior to Thanksgiving; to bake pumpkin tarts on Thanksgiving day; to go Trick or Treating for the fun of it; to go for brunch at Denny's on the first Sunday after mid month payday. Then there are the classics - Santa starts watching you from July ( when all the christmas cartoons are on TV) for his naughty/ nice list; no Christmas decorations can go up until after my birthday; the Christmas cake must be made before Grandmas birthday (Nov 25th); The trip to see Santa at the Pioneer village around the 23rd Dec. "do you think he is the real Santa mummy?" Maybe, although he may be a helper as Santa is very busy. "No, he is the real Santa because he was really old!" Okay.
Another memory that stirs at this time of year is watching, with my Grandma, the Remembrance Day service on the BBC. Born around 1903 she lived through both world wars, Granddad fought in WW1, lied about his age and sneaked off at 14 and signed up for the adventure. I have vivid memories of grandma telling me about being given tins of condensed milk during rationing in WW2 and feeling terrified she would get into trouble, only for the bottom of the bag to give way and them all fall out right in front of a copper. I remember dad and her telling me about them arriving home to find that the front door had been blown off by Gerry bombs. I wasn't there, clearly, but it is part of my life. Remembering and respecting are very important to us and we are starting to help small person understand and show respect for history.
We are off to the local Cenotaph on Sunday to pay our respects. Small person with his Beaver Scout troop and me close by. I think that those connections to history are powerful influences. Last week at work someone shared a comic image on the intranet with likely all the best of intentions... A photoshopped picture of Kitchener from WW1 propaganda. It offended me. I mulled over it for some hours...why did it offend me? It felt disrespectful in some way, maybe it was the ignorance of its origins by the sharer that offended me. The apparent lack of of education about recent history offended me. It felt like trampling across graves in a grave yard if that makes any sense. I felt compelled to raise my concerns. Others shared them and the photo was taken down. It rare that stuff bothers me that much but we really do need to understand and remember what others sacrificed so that we can live the lives we want to live.
More upbeat next time I promise :-)
Happy Wednesday
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