Children

It is no small thing that they, who are so fresh from God, love us. - Charles Dickens

Libraries and poo

Ok so this is a little weird.

But who out there has noticed that in under 5 minutes in a library (or book store or Toys R US :)) there is a pretty great toilet rush that happens! LOL. I first noticed it back in my uni days and since, would never plan a trip like this without factoring in the toilet visit! (i.e. the depths of Adelaide uni library is a bad idea without a plan!). I thought it was just me until last year a friend of mine outed themselves to me - then there were 2 of us! NOW it seems that it actually is a phenomenon.

Check it out. I’d LOVE to know why this happens. Where’s Dr Karl when you need him… Hilarious really.

Parenting philosphy

I’m not the parent I thought I would be. I’m better. I’ve realised today how forcefully strong my parenting philosophy is. Yes…I have a philosophy. I think about it, I read about it. I’m educated and I’ve made choices to parent in the way that I do. Unashamedly.

“If your mother

-recognised your timing and rhythms, above her own at times

- let you safely express your emotions and your interests

-supported your ability to trust yourself and your own instincts

-fed you when you were hungry, not when she thought you should be fed

- listened to what you had to say and helped you make your own choices

- respected you as an individual

- allowed you to play freely and be spontaneous

then she gave you a sense of wellbeing and confidence in yourself. This can provide you with a solid foundation for the rest of your life”

KINDRED (Formerly called Byron Child)

Silence

Hmmm got inspired by “The Poisonwood Bible” all over again and I like this thought…

“I…keep my thoughts to myself. Silence has many advantages. When you do not speak other people presume you to be deaf or feeble minded and promptly make a show of their own limitations. …It is true I do not speak as well as I can think. But that is true of most people, as nearly as I can tell.” p 40.

I like this thought. I feel like I’m on a bizzare sabbatical and maybe I’m having less to do with and certainly dealing less with other people - and maybe I’m learning more about the wisdom of silence. When you’re not caught up in other people’s lives, it’s much easier to sit back and observe. To watch. Support. Stay silent. To get involved when invited or only when absolutely necessary. There’s no drama in silence.
It’s nice.

time

Who the heck has TIME to blog!

So, so funny

If you haven’t checked out Dave Gill’s blog (see links), now is the time

THIS is the funniest story I’ve read in ages…in fact, I cried all 3 times I read it. Don’t know if it helps knowing him or not, but hopefully you get a giggle out of it… it’s a great blog.

Someone save me please

Ok so there are wars and famines and terrible things going on in the world. And some people are out there in the thick of it and caring about real things.

Me? my problem seems astronomical and leaves me shuddering with an involuntary reflex…. HUNTSMANS IN MY CAR.

OH. MY. GOSH. I’ve decided selling it is the only option. I just have to talk Dave into it. We own it completely now, we can sell it, right. Eeeekkkk. Some of you will remember the huntsman on my head interlude a couple of years back -that was in the little car.

Now I’ve had SIX interludes in 3 weeks in the big car - though I’m pretty sure it was with 3 spiders, not 6. Two were smaller and easier for me to cope with, Dave managed to get them out when I saw them while he was around. Both times they were in the back seat.

Today I was driving and Kades was crashed out in his car seat when MUMMY SPIDER crawled accross my shoulder. *faints* Not really. For those of you who know Ms LW (don’t think she’ll like being blogged about!) I was talking on the phone to her at the phone, squealed and jumped out of the car. I couldn’t talk or think, so LW came racing down the hill (London Dr) with a can of bug spray. I had crawled back in the car to get Kades out (how much do I love that boy!) and had managed to charm a real estate guy on the street into getting in there and pulling the big damn hairy creature out.

I must’ve looked pale and freaked I think. He felt sorry for me. Plus…the little baby asleep on my shoulder helps for sure!

So we end up with 3 random people from the neighbourhood, LW with her can of bug spray and Kaden and I standing on the side of the road. Sadly I had to get back IN the car to drive home up my street which was a big effort. I was very grateful to he who cancelled a meeting with Dave so that he was home, and when I saw him I burst into freaked out tears. LW pulled up behind me, she said she saw my face and thought I wasn’t going to be ok so she’d better follow me home
Ahh what are friends for.

Blogging again. Nothing deep, poetic, political or justice orientated. Just me and some friggin huntsmans, and a little boy who hopefully hasn’t and doesn’t get visited by them. What the heck do I do about this car? Suggestions welcome! (and yes, I keep the windows closed. Damn spiders). If you want to buy a CRV tomorrow let me know!

All breathe a sigh of relief

This morning I watched Kevin Rudd spend half an hour apologising to Indigenous Australians, as did so many of us. I have to admit I cried for 20 minutes of the 30 minute speech, and then started again when I saw the gallery of visitors jump to their feet in applause at the end. I found Rudd incredibly genuine in his wording and delivery - I am so glad he (from what I can see?) covered the right issues and said “I’m sorry - with no qualifications”. How powerful was that. I can’t help but feel overwhelming relief that we have a PM who is in many ways moving us into an entirely different place to the Howard government’s antics. I truly hope that Rudd’s words today were a powerful start or continuation to healing for many Indigenous people. They have waited for this recognition for far too long.

I was a little bit surprised by the emotion I felt to watch this finally happen, and the hopes that I held/hold, too, for what it might mean for our future in this country. But on a more self-related note, I recognised that part of my relief was a feeling creeping in that I might be able to feel pride in our country sometime. I did a little today, perhaps for the first time. When I go to places like the Solomon Islands or Thailand I mostly feel ashamed about our country - our lack of community and social conscience, our lack of feeling and caring for and about eachother. So many reasons actually. For so long I have felt ashamed and angry about the state of relations here with Indigenous people (on so many levels) and the living conditions in which so many of them find themselves. I also feel ashamed and angry about the way we treat visitors to the country - immigrants, sure, but specifically refugees. These people aren’t visitors, let me correct that. So many reasons.

Well today my hope is that we turned a corner for Aboriginal nations and today we may have turned a corner for me. I’m proud of Kevin Rudd and I stand by to watch what else he will do in the coming years. Go Kev.

(As for Brendan-I-want-to-appear-sorry-but-those-people-who-took-the-children- hurt-too-and-by-the-way-some-kids-still-need-to-be-removed-Nelson, don’t get me started on him. I could’ve bopped him over the head for continuing on that Howard rhetoric which I had just quite emotionally thought we’d let go of! And what’s with his reminding the country that “there’s no compensation fund”. What the! Why don’t you be a bit more obvious about what’s on your mind Dr Nelson. I don’t know why we need to hear from him at all… )

Year in review…2007

Finding God

“That exacting, tyrannical God has left me for good. I don’t quite know how to name what crept in to take his place. Some kin to the passion of [he] who advised me to trust in Creation, which is made fresh daily and doesn’t suffer in translation. This God does not work in especially mysterious ways. The sun here rises and sets at six exactly. A caterpillar becomes a butterfly, a bird raises its brood in the forest, and a greenheart tree will only grow from a greenheart seed. He brings drought sometimes, followed by torrential rains, and if these things aren’t always what I had in mind, they aren’t my punishment either. They’re rewards, let’s say, for the patience of a seed.”

From “The Poisonwood Bible”, Barbara Kingsolver. One of the best books I’ve ever read.