What our days are made of....

A tea party with a giraffe, visits to my parents, walking to the park, collecting eggs from my parents sociopathic chickens, drawings penguins, summer storms and Christmas....that's what my days are made of....how about you?

A bit of Christmas Spirit - Flash mob style!

My Happy List

This time of year I think can be a catch 22 - I sometimes feel inadequate and not 'too Christmasy' and sometimes I think it is a happy, wonderful time of year that is fantastic - I read this and thought I would join in and make a happy list.  Sometimes it is really easy to get caught up in the drama and forget what actually puts a smile on your face. 

Happy List

* The Mr - he drives me crazy and makes me want to pull my hair out but I love the way he stands by what he says (even if he is wrong!) and how he is still my favourite person to hang out with.

* The Madam - she is a mini Mr and the coolest kid I know - and she is the only person in the world who thinks I am a good dancer.

* Chai lattes - what's not to love

* My friend who works in catering - she brought me creamed spinach in truffle oil - I don't know if it's healthy or not but it tasted sooooo goood!

* Oprah - I love her , I think she is great.

* Mangoes - my favourite thing about summer.

* Moving house - I am excited about our new adventure.

* Margaret Cho - I have only just discovered here but I think she is fabulous.

* New Year - a time of inspiration, the only time of the year I feel a 100% convinced I WILL complete all my new years resolutions...I WILL

* Blogs....need I say more.

Tattooed ladies & an outspoken 4 year old

Image from here

You know how you get to that point where you think you are doing okay as a parent.  The madam is four now so she is goes to the toilet herself, feeds herself, mostly sleeps well, is a fairly nice kid so I probably became a little complacent.

Yesterday changed all that....

It was pay day, and as usual the pay didn't go in until five, so it was a late dash to the shops.  I had one grumpy four year old in tow so I tried to make it as quick and painless as possible.  I even pulled the bribery - ' If you are good I'll buy...' card - yes it was not a classy parent day.

Now to understand what happened next you probably need to know a bit about us.  The Mr has tattoos, my sister is tattooed, my friends have tattoos, my brother & sister in laws are tattooed, we have tattoo art in our house - I have taken the Madam to numerous tattoo parlours in search of someone to do one for me.  She is surrounded my tattooed people, hippies, conservative what have you!

She walks down the supermarket and spots a stunning girl who is covered head to toe in tattoos with long dreads and proceeds to say at top volume,

" What did you draw on yourself? Girls shouldn't have tattoos just Daddy's"

Needless to say I apologised and tore out of there at top speed  with the Madam still at full volume now going

" Mum I knew she was a girl cause she had big boobies like you"

Yes I followed that situation up with a lecture about inappropriate behaviour, everyones right to look how they want and why on earth did she think it was so strange when everyone we know has tattoos....

Then I remembered apart from the fact it was just 'one of those moments  we had  also recently seen the reigning conservative female in our lives - now I know why those visits are few and far between.

* My lesson: Don't take her shopping after 4pm, if I don't want her to say something she will say it, she takes everything in so try and override the negative with SO MUCH more cool things*

My list.........cause I've been naughty

image from here

I don't know why but for some reason lately the words aren't flowing - I can think it I just can't put it on the screen.  Apparently the photo's aren't flowing either as my beloved Nikon died so now I'm looking for a repair man .  But I have constantly been reading every one's blogs and as always am inspired by all that is around me in blogworld......

So instead of writing, as such , I thought I'd list some things that have happened.....

* The Mr is still away for work and comes home on a fortnightly basis - so while his away I have been trying to catch up with some friends! (Maybe he needs a few more jobs away so I can maintain my social life hahaha)

* Summer has hit Adelaide....and yes as much as I am trying I am on the verge of whingeing about the heat....but I am enjoying the balmy (tropical for Adelaide) mornings...and mangoes...there is always mangoes.

* Ruby Gloom is soooooooo my favourite kids program, when I grow up I want to be just like her!

* The madam is almost finished Montessori school for the year....I think I will cry it has been such a beautiful inclusion in her (and my ) life!

* I am finding I know who my wonderful friends are and they are brilliant people - whether we can sit and have a wine or can only twitter/email due to distance you rock!

* I am over unethical psychics/medium/clairvoyant wannabes freaking people out for self serving purposes.  You have a gift to share NOT to scare the crap out of people for your own purposes. (I am a medium so I can say this with experience).

* We are moving in the New Year.  Only 20 minutes away.  But I love moving and new beginnings....I am so excited....we will be in an old cottage that we will redo vintage style.(any ideas let me know!)

* Mangoes .... did I mention them?I love them.

* I love that Kathleen Hanna was/is such a great feminist role model, even years after I discovered her in highschool.  I hope the madam is as inspired by great women like her.

* Green smoothies in the morning...best thing for breakfast.

Maybe this will keep the flow going.........

Inspired Kate

I have started a new blog/photo project and would love it if you would come and have a look.  I am hoping this will be the start of something new for me - my possible career as an artist/photographer/writer.

  Any advice, opinions, feedback is all appreciated as you know

I am starting to live and die by my blogworld :)

http://www.inspiredkate.blogspot.com/

Are we still having this conversation??????

Image from here

Gay marriage and same sex parenting have been a couple of hot topics for longer than I'd like to know.  They have been covered on two particularly fabulous blogs here Woogsworld and Mammamia.

I just don't get it.  I have never actually seen the big deal about whether a man and a man get married or a child has two mums.  I am not being naive or particularly left wing when I say this but I do not understand why this is such a big deal.  I always think if two people love each other and want to - then get married, if you want to have children and you can love them and provide for them - do it!

I know far too many straight people that have been married and divorce, they cheat on each other, they stay married and hate each other, they basically suck at being married.  Or they could be like me and be the straight couple that have no real interest in getting married . There are many great straight couples that have wonderful marriages but I'm sure if you asked them why their marriage works it would not be because one has a penis and the other a vagina.

I also know straight parents that regret having their children, leave their children in questionable care, do not really give a damn about their children or their education, rights, experience , etc.   I am a straight parent but I do not think , by any stretch of the imagination, my parenting skills came from the fact I like to have sex with a man or that I am in a 'regular couple'.

On the other hand I also am very lucky to know some great couples and single people who are gay.  They have great relationships and are wonderful with the children in their lives.  Yes, just like with straight people there are gay people that are good and bad parents or good and bad at relationships. 

What I am trying to say is how can we, as a society, equate sexual orientation to whether a person is able to be a parent or enter into a marriage? How is it  a government's right to stand back and say 'well all we really know about you is you are gay so sorry no child/marriage for you?'. 

I am horrified that these issues are still so dominant in our society and I am hoping by the time my daughter is an adult she wont be still writing about this.  I am hoping that by the time the Madam is my age our country would have progressed, our world we be more equal and all those people that want to will be married and all those kids that need great parents will have them.