Friday Overheard in NY

Stroller mom admonishing toddler: Connor! Connor, stop that now. Connor, I'm going to count to three...in French. Un, deux, trois.

--Broadway & 93rd St

Father to three rowdy children: You guys are gonna need to calm down, this is gonna be a two hour ride and there is no bar car on this train. Which is unfair to daddies with 3 kids.

--Grand Central

Security guard, breaking up fight during peace march: You can't fight at the peace march! You can't fight at the peace march!

--143 & Malcolm X

Girl to friend: I know, man! I was like, "Expelliarmus!"

--116th & Amsterdam

Ghetto Latina, seeing MTA worker hug crying bag lady: Shit, I'm from the Bronx, born and raised, and I ain't never seen no subway man be giving out free hugs. I seen shouting matches, I seen drug deals, I seen fist fights, but I ain't never seen no free hugs in a subway station. That's some fuckin dedication right there.

--59th St. Subway Station

And the last one especially for Treena;

Girl #1: That's a cute dress. Are you going to wear it with leggings.
Girl #2: I don't own leggings.
Girl #1: Why not?
Girl #2: Because I'm not an asshole.

--Penn Station

Hairy Women

Recently I had an email conversation with Inge about hairy armpits.  I'm currently sporting a fine set of hairy pits, its become so normal to me that I actually notice other women who have hair free pits and it seems a bit strange.

Its funny how something like hair removal can create such a strong reaction.

Last year I was meeting up with some old friends that I hadn't seen for a few years, I started thinking about how they would react to seeing me and my hairy underarms.  

The media and people in general seem to think that women with hairy underarms are looking after themselves less, like we are all stinky ferals who don't wash our hair.

I found two articles in one quick search where -gasp- celebrities were caught without having shaved their armpits
The first was this article about Lily Allen about how she isn't looking after herself enough 

"With messy hair and looking a little tired, it appears Lily also forgot to wear a bra as she took off her light blue cardigan, revealing her unsightly armpit hair."

Now don't even get me started on the fact that he didn't wear a bra .... oh the horror... but gosh the poor girl didn't shave under her arms for a day or so and suddenly its hit the front page, how dare she offend us all with her "unsightly underarm hair" 

The second article is about Anne Robinson 

"But there was just one glitch - The Weakest Link host had apparently overlooked a step in her preening routine, giving onlookers more than they bargained for with her unsightly hairy armpits."

Again with the "unsightly underarm hair", and then the article goes on to talk about Julia Roberts daring not to shave for a movie premier.

For the record;

• My pits smell less now that they are unshaven
  
• I use less deodorant
  
• I don't get shaving rash
  

Three good reason to think about not shaving.

So back to the old friends catchup, I did shave for that event, I just didn't want the only thing that they saw be my have hairy underarms, I looked at myself afterwards with the burny feeling that meant I was going to get shaving rash and I felt prepubescent.  Now I do still shave my legs and try to keep my bikini line in some semblance of order, but I'm aware that I am doing it because of societies conditioning over me, and sometimes I find it a bit sad that the way I feel about myself and others view of me has to do with the location and grooming of my body hair.  I won't be shaving my underarms again anytime soon, and if my underarm hair bothers you feel free to put a bag over your head :)

"All the time I save on bodily hair removal, I devote to the revolution"

(quoted from a woman I know)

Thanks to the Simpsons

Andrew has been away for 5 days and I'm feeling tired, I was thinking about blogging but was coming up blank when an old episode of The Simpsons came on the TV.  It was one of those clip episodes where they run bits of clips from old episodes to make up a new one.  It gave me an idea, and so here follows some of my favourite posts from the last year. A little something for everyone;

Musical Allegiances

Till Death

iPod Evil

The Invasions of the Pilgrims

Things End of the World Movies have Taught Me

Top 10 ... ??

Transformations

So sorry for the clip show, but until Andrew gets back I'm all out of good ideas.  If you have a favourite I haven't added, I'd love to hear about it and I will add it to the list.

Celebrations for Obama

I am terrible at current affairs and politics but the inauguration of the 44th president of USA and the first african american president catches everyones attention and everyone has a opinion as to what this will mean for the USA and the world.  Today it was the closure of Guantanamo Bay, whats next?

His inaguration is certainly making people stand up and take notice, look at these amazing photos.

Random Market Photos

I Like Coffee A LOT

Todays humorous photo of Hamish, enjoying his baby chino, or little coffee as he likes to call it.  There's no caffeine in it so he either just really excited about the frothed milk, or the sugar hit from marshmallow that comes with it has just kicked.

In celebration of Crocs

Well OK I'm not actually celebrating Crocs per-say because although I'm an avid Croc wearer, we all know that they are a fairly unattractive clown shoe, but they are so comfy and since being a mum a quick to put on shoe that is comfortable whilst carrying one and sometimes two children is of upmost importance.

Thats why I am astounded my the new design in shoes.  When do they think women are going to wear these?  They certainly are not going to want to be walking outside.  I often don't wear shoes but anyone who likes to go barefoot knows that walking on tippy toes is painful, the balls of your feet are just not made to walk on rocks, gravel, metal grates etc on their own.  You also wouldn't want to wear these out to somewhere busy where everyone else is in heels, I mean your toes are just waiting to get stomped on by another pair of stilettos.

Plus if you look at the X-Ray of a woman's foot while wearing stilettos and how deformed the bones look whilst in them, well you have to wonder why we ever wear heels at all.


Now don't get me wrong, when I'm dressing up I love a pair of heels as much as the next woman (although it has been a long while since I have been that dressed up, it just feels wrong to carry a child while wearing heels) but after seeing these photos of what my poor feet are enduring for the sake of fashion, I might reconsider it ....... mind you if I had a reason to wear my hot pink satin stilettos I think id get over it for the night.

Overheard Giggles

I think this one might be particularly funny to mothers who like me, have quiet often had to explain/apologise or run away from people who have heard some of the weird and wonderful things that have come out of my children's mouths.

We're Not That French

Little boy, collapsing onto mother's lap: I am so hungover.
Mother: What?! No you're not! (to anyone within earshot) No, he's not.

--JFK Airport

Immerse Yourself

Years ago I read Neil Gaimans book Stardust, I thought it was fantastic and it continued to be my favourite book for years and then one day I was walking past the fantasy section in a bookstore and I saw his latest publication 'Fragile Things'.  I stood there staring it at it and realised that as much as I had loved Stardust I had never thought to look further into his writing.  I brought the book and read it, and it was fabulous.  

How weird is it that I had never thought to read more of his stuff?  

I went on to read the other books that I found on the fantasy shelf and concluded (this time with more than just one book to back it up) that Neil Gaiman is far and away my favourite author.

Then life went on, I read loads of other books some good and some crap, and when I looked at the Gaimans on my shelf I wondered where the next great book was going to come from.

Tonight I decided to do a search on Gaiman, I wanted to check out a graphic novel he had done and lo and behold when I looked on his site there are a load of other novels and different things that he had published.  

So I have had an epiphany, I don't immerse myself in things.  Ok Ok yeah sure I immerse myself in my family and my kids, I immerse myself in the movements of my life but I don't immerse myself in my interests, I don't immerse myself in me.  (sounding a bit like a self help book)

Often as mothers we talk about how we have trouble doing things for ourselves, we get carried away with the day to day, the needs of our kids, our house, our partners, the bits a pieces seem to fill every day and somehow we go to bed at the end of the day and feel exhausted but cant remember what we really did.

Tomorrow I'm going to try and source a new Gaiman book, or maybe I'll start the yoga classes I've been talking about for a year, maybe I will sit and meditate, or find the new handbag I have wanted for months, maybe I'll go and search some of my favourite music and see what's on their back catalogue, I don't know but now that Hamish is in preschool a few day a week it's time for me to start thinking about the things that interest me beyond the day to day.  Maybe I'll discover a passion for Alpacas, but probably not.

Overheard in New York

OK so I just posted about being to busy to write, but I just saw this website, Overheard in New York and had to share.  I think it could become a bit of a daily ritual.

My favourite quotes were;

Weren't You Jamaican Yesterday?

Teenager: I don't know if I would wear a fur coat, ever.
Friend: I know I would, just as long as it wasn't raccoon...raccoons are just gross.
Hobo with heavy Russian accent: In mother Russia raccoon wear you!

Any my second favourite was;

Why Are You Brad Pitt in Every Hypothetical?

Gay guy: I'm the understudy? How does this make sense? I'm so good and Greg is so awful.
Girl: Yeah, I don't know.
Gay guy: It's like Brad Pitt being cast as an extra for Pauly Shore's new movie. And I'm Brad Pitt!

--8th & 30th

Now I just read this to Andrew and he didn't laugh so either, the way I read them sort of ruined them or only someone with a weird sense of humour like me will find this funny, either way at least I know Catriona will laugh :)

Whooping Cough Watch

Its quiet around here and the reason for that is that we are on whooping cough watch.  A little friend of ours came over, later to discover that she had whooping cough and now we are in quarantine waiting to find out if the little cough Jack had two nights ago is THE dreaded cough. 

Blogging has become a luxury while I try and keep two boys happy at home, I'm bringing out all the stops we have been painting, glueing, bubbling, face painting, jamming, climbing and basically trashing the house trying to find things to do at home while we await the verdict.

Thankfully its the weekend and tomorrow I am hanging with Trish at her market stall at Orange Grove Organic Market, drinking coffee and talking to pregnant woman or couples with new babies about slings birth and all things AP..... basically my idea of a great day off :)  

So hopefully Monday I will be ready to blog again, if the kids go to preschool after getting a negative result, wish us luck.

Introspection

I have been thinking a lot in the last few weeks about what sort of person I am.  Its something that in my quiet times I am quiet perplexed by, how do I see myself? how do others see me? and do these two views come close to each other.

While I have been pondering all of this a quote from Doctor Who - Christmas Invasion keeps running through my head. 

The Doctor has just awoken from his latest regeneration and is questioning who he is now?

See, there's the thing. I'm the Doctor, but beyond that, I-- I just don't know. I literally do not know who I am. It's all untested.
(walks around, addressing everyone)
Am I funny? Am I sarcastic?
(looks at Rose)
Sexy?
(winks cheekily - she smiles shyly)
Right old misery? Life and soul? Right-handed? Left-handed? A gambler? A fighter? A coward? A traitor? A liar? A nervous wreck? I mean, judging by the evidence, I've certainly got a gob.
(notices the button)
And how am I gonna react when I see this?
(points up at the button with an insane smile)
A great big threatening button.
(runs up the stairs, laughing)

Recently my shrink asked me to take an online quiz from Authentic Happiness called VIA Signature Strengths.  Im not sure what her point as on getting me to take this quiz, we haven't gotten to that yet but it was interesting to see what my top 5 strengths were;

1. Bravery and Valor

2. Appreciation of beauty and excellence

3. Curiosity and interest in the world (now #9)

4. Humor and playfulness (now #6)

5. Fairness, equity and justice

And then when I took the test again today, because I had lost the paperwork my top 5 strengths were;

1. Capacity to love and be loved (previously #9)

2. Appreciation of beauty and excellence

3. Fairness Equity and justice

4. Social intelligence (previously #10)

5. Bravery and Valor

Now I know that these quizzes are always biased, when someone asks you to rate yourself and your abilities, no matter how honest you hope to be they are still very tainted.  Also apparently your mood can change the way the results turn out, in fact I'm sure I could take the same quiz 20 times and never get the same answers, but still it was an interesting activity on my road pondering what sort of person I am.

How else do you figure out who you are? you can go by the things people say about you, but more often than not the way people perceive you is more to do with them than you.

So far i have come the the conclusion that on any differnt day in and any different circumstance I am someone different, sometimes I am caring, cranky, loving, funny, opinionated, generous, slightly mad ...... but always me.

Have you thought about who you are today? Maybe we all need to regenerate once in a while so we give the idea of who we are some thought?

What's Your Postsecret?

I found a website that struck me recently called Postsecret.  I didn't know what it was or who it belonged to (i still don't really) but I loved reading the anonymous heartfelt or funny messages.  It reminded me of the 6 word memoirs in that its idea is to share a little about yourself in a concise way.

Here are a few of my favourites;

What do you think your postsecret would be?

The Escape Artist

Hamish loves to climb.  Mostly he doesn't climb get anywhere and if he actually finds himself elsewhere as a result of his climbing its more like a bonus that a result.

We have come to the conclusion that he can't not climb, its so a part of who he is asking him not to is tantamount to asking me not to talk.

Luckily the tree house seems to be giving him an outlet.  Still its interesting to see him find new things he decides to try and clime each day

The Doctor Who Party

The Tree House - It was a huge hit and got a full on party workout, at one time we counted 7 kids up the top.  There were a few kids that were scared to get up and a few that once they got up couldn't get down, but the only accident we had was Jack falling off the bottom stair and the only thing hurt was his little boy ego

The Cake - Notice the look on Jacks face, he had been burnt by a sparkler a few days previously and I realised after looking at these photos that putting them on his birthday cake could scar him for life.
The Table - Really this photo is for Treena, we had brought a book of Doctor Who cardboard models and I had the intention of making all 4 (the tardis above, a Dalek, K-9, and a Cyberman mask) unfortunately the Tardis alone took me the better part of 2 hours and so the others didn't get done in time.  I still have every intention of making them and putting them in Jacks room though.
The Cake - I had planned just to make a round orange cake and put Doctor Who figurines on top.  But I had underestimated how hard it was going to be to find them and so had to come to another solution the day before the party.  Dark indigo icing eluded me, as did anything else that would make it look realistic, in the end i settled for a cartoon version of the Tardis.  The upside was Jack saw it and said 'mummy that's the Tardis so the birthday boy gave it his seal of approval

The Lolly Bags - Or favour bags as Catriona called them in a comment that got deleted, there were 12 bags that had either K-9, an Ood, a Cyberman, the Tardis, a Dalek, and of course the latest Doctor on them.  They were filled with popcorn, a few lollys, a party blower, a balloon, and a little rubber frog/snake.  I would have loved to have put something more Doctor whoish inside but i really did leave all party planning till the last minute.

Preschool Days

Life passing faster than my feet
Watching you grow, and mature
Beyond my years
I will see you pass me, If I do my job well
Grow fast and strong and perfect
Building you life away from us
I will never leave you
As you will never leave my heart
So my loves fly away,(slowly)
on wings grown strong in our arms

(Not quiet poetry)

Goodbye and Hello

So it's new year, 2009. We have been so busy in the last few weeks that i have hardly had time to sit and think about the the year ahead, let alone the year that has passed.

So what have the highlights of the last year been;

There are of course all of the joys that my family have given me.  There are far to many sweet cute funny and gorgeous things that they have done, it would be impossible to list them.

I have attended two women as they birthed, watching with amazement as they and their partners welcomed their new daughters into the world.  I have also been lucky enough to speak to many other women about supporting them and my doula self is learning so much from every one of them.

I have spent a lot of time with my Aunt as she lives and dies of cancer.  Being with her has been so hard but it has also shown me a side of myself i needed reminding of and being able to watch her strength and resolve as she walks down this path has been inspiring

There have been a lot of changes in the way i see myself as a mother as well.  I have stopped being so hard on myself, and started looking for the good in who I am and how I raise my children. I like myself more and therefore i enjoy my children more.

I have strengthen friendships and shed some of my less healthy ones.  The group of people that we have around us these days nurture our lives and remind us that family is more than blood.  

I have gained more self, with things like writing this blog, being part of Homebirth Access Sydney and completing components of my course.  These are all things that are all about me and that remind me of who i am beyond mother and wife.

For the year ahead, i hope for more of the same; 

I'd like to complete my courses, 

Be kinder to myself and my family, 

I'd like to learn more about punctuation and grammar, as i am keenly aware that i am terrible at both *grin*, 

I'd like to find more time to spend alone with Andrew, 

Somehow survive sending Hamish off to preschool 2 days a week.

And of course world peace and goodwill towards men (and women) ...... those things may take longer than a year though.  So may the punctuation...........

Happy Tears

It has been a while since I have updated.  I promise I will do a better and more thorough update after this crazy week has finished, but tonight I am feeling mellow and having a few happy tear

s to myself.

Tomorrow is Jacks 4th Birthday, I am feeling a little sad about the passing of time but mostly I am happy about the way our little man is growing. I can't believe how fast, wonderful, hard, happy, and joyous the last 4 years have been. 

Happy Birthday our sweet, funny and awesome little boy.  What a blessing in our lives you are