Wednesday 5 December 2007

Hi, we're back

I have been thinking a lot about this blog lately (as opposed to actually writing anything on it). In particular, ever since I read this post from Baltimore's finest, and a few of the more pointed comments on that post, I have been wondering whether I have been guilty of presenting a rather skewed view of parenting that emphasises the cuteness while glossing over the less fantastic parts.


It's not like I have never alluded to the difficulties associated with parenting. Locating this blog at letmesleepnow.blogspot.com was a small hint as to how much sleep I have had in the past three years (none). Also, since I am aiming for balance, the past couple of months have mostly been taken up with Bundle apparently growing his wisdom teeth (or possibly they are two year old molars that are running a year late) while Cherub, advanced child that he is, seems to have hit the 'terrible twos' at the relatively young age of 18 months. This has been a truly bad combination.


Also, it would be safe to say that this movie review is unlikely to cause a sudden spike in procreational activities amongst bloggers any time soon.



However, having considered all of that, I don't really plan to change my approach to this little blog. Whilst the point of We Do Talk About Our Kids is to have a space where we can all write whatever we want to and there are no rules as far as I know (we really need to have a staff meeting, don't we?) I plan to continue to use this little blog to record all the things I love about my beautiful boys and anyone who wants to send me 'get a life, mommybloggers/daddybloggers' type messages, can.

As far as I am concerned, there is enough negativity towards parenting without me adding to it, and every time I think about complaining about the way parenting has changed my life, I look at my awesomely beautiful boys and forget what I was going to say.



So, to catch us up for the past couple of months, here are a few of my favourite parenting moments from recent times.

Cherub is at that age (around 18 months) where every new word he learns is an event. I won't bore you senseless by listing them, buit allow me to mention in passing that whenever he runs through the kitchen at top speed saying "Hurry. Hurry. Hurry." the cuteness meter is at risk of exploding.

Around a month ago, I took the boys on a train ride to Belgrave to pass he time one Sunday afternoon. Every time we were about to leave a station and the doors were about to close, Cherub leaned over, pressed my nose and said 'beep'. The other passengers were suitably entertained by this.



Driving home from Bunnings last week, I had this conversation with Bundle:

Bundle: Oh, there's a posty. Will he get wet?


INC: Probably, but he has a good raincoat so he should be okay


Bundle: Does he have a house, too?


INC: Yes, I'm sure he does


Bundle: And does he have wood at home?


INC: [briefly pauses to wonder where this is going] Yes, I think so


Bundle: [profoundly] We can't live without wood.

I could explain that one, but I think it's cuter if don't.

Cherub is at an age where he is very, very clear about what he wants, and when he wants it, by his verbal communication skills are not always up to the task of communicating it clearly. I admire his creativity in finding ways to get the message across. For example, he was slightly displeased that his grandfather was reading a book in a comfortable chair rather than playing with him. His response was to walk up as close as possible and throw a soccer ball at my father-in-law's head, really hard.

This pleased me endlessly.


Earlier this week, Honey Bear and I took the boys to the family hairdresser, a wonderful woman who provides excellent haircuts at stupidly low prices because she works from home. Bundle was playing with our hairdresser's train set while Honey Bear was having her legs waxed, and he drew my attention to the fact that a particular train had fallen off the end of the track. From there, the conversation went like this:

Bundle: The driver can't get the train back on the track


INC: Keep trying, you're nearly there


Bundle: It's back on the track


INC: Oh, what a clever driver


Bundle: It was me actually


INC: ....


Bundle: Pretend drivers can't really drive trains, daddy


INC: Oh, I didn't know that


Bundle: I didn't know that either


What's to complain about? My life is awesome.

10 comments:

meva said...

You'll get no complaints from me about being a daddyblogger here, INC. You're posts about your beautiful kids always make me smile. They are very lucky children, indeed.

MommyHeadache said...

You have a good attitude to it all. I know I should just smell the roses regarding the kids, enjoy everything, live in the moment, but I frequently feel like the top of my head is about to explode with impatience and the sheer monotony of it all. You are probably a lot more patient than I but I value your positive outlook and stuff you write about on your blog.

I'm not Craig said...

Meva

Thanks, but I think I'm far luckier.

Emma

Wow, I had no idea you read this thing. From what I can gather, parenting full time is way different to working full time and only seeing the kids outside of work hours.

Part of what I was trying to say with this post was that I want to be positive but Ialso want tobe honest about the challenges of parenting. There is nothing worse than having someone (and it's usually someone who has no kids) telling me I should be endlessly grateful on days when the endless fights over who gets to play with Percy the Green Engine (as opposed to the other 20 nearly identical trains) make me want to scream.

As the comments one your blog indicate, a whole lot of people were endlessly relieved to know they weren't the only ones who had bad parenting days.

I have recently rediscovered your blog thanks to 'move me movies' and I greatly enjoy it

MommyHeadache said...

Maybe I would work but I don't currently have a green card. Daycare is all very well but actually there is a point to me staying home, I am trying to teach them german which no daycare facility can do!

I did enjoy being home with the kids to some extent but now it's gone on too long (seven years)..time for a change!

I'm not Craig said...

Emma
My parents are done with their greencards so possibly we could sell you one of them.

Please note that I am not an expert in US immigration law and what I am proposing here may be exceptionally illegal.

And in conclusion, let me say "Wie kommen ich am besten zum Bahnhof bitte" which is as close as I can get to remembering how to say anything in German. Apologies in advance for probably spelling at least half of that sentence incorrectly

Melba said...

i think we just keep going as we have been. note ironic use of "we" here because i've posted about once.

but really it was more of a tribute blog rather than a whinge blog? that was the spirit i considered it established in. and i'm delighted it hasn't gotten all negative. why do we worry about being seen as parents who enjoy being parents? sure there's another side, and there are other blogs that deal with that other side. (there's lots of sides, actually, as any parent knows.)

what will be beautiful for you, is that you can copy off your posts, print them or whatever and you will have a wonderful record of all those little moments that unless we do this sort of thing, get forgotten.

keep up the good work i say.

oh and i didn't realise this post was here, so this late comment may well sit here unread.

[looks around]

[frowns]

[departs]

I'm not Craig said...

No comment on this blog will ever go unread.

Melba said...

good work there inc. keeping across all the comments. like me. i'm obsessive that way.

I'm not Craig said...

MG
Not as obsessive as me.

Apparently.

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