MAMA SAYS A LADY AINT WHAT SHE WEARS BUT WHAT SHE KNOWS

I have PCOS and I worry a lot about whether A will inherit it from me and what to do if she does.  I have never coped well with it's effect on my appearance and I never want A (or either of my boys) to feel that low about themselves.  I want them to feel comfortable in their own skin and never feel the need to conform, but how do you empower when you don't feel empowered?  How do you teach them to feel comfortable in their skin without teaching them how to conform?  We all know that we should lead by example, but I am not a great example of somebody who doesn't feel the need to conform. 

So yesterday we were pottering in the garden listening to some music and I try to be quite selective about what I put on when little ears are around because they like to sing along and pick up the words very quickly.  So anyway I found a track on my MP3 from way back when and in today's (well I say today, but the song is about 12 years old) celebrity driven society it is a breath of fresh air.  India Arie has, quite by accident, provided me with an anthem for teaching my daughter how to be comfortable in her own skin.  She rocks!

So go on my baby girl.  Be a queen!

FUN IN THE SUN...

 ...okay so it's the shade really given that Teeny was in there with them.

I JUST WANT TO PRESS PAUSE

So yesterday A&D finished pre-school and will be going to the school nursery in September ready for school the following year.  It only seems like five minutes ago that I was writing this post yet here we are; they have done a whole school year, grown and developed in an indescribable way and made some lovely friends in the process.  However despite all this I feel a little bit sad and I just want to press the pause button; their life is passing by far too quickly.  A had got to the stage where she was running into pre-school and most mornings forgetting to even kiss me and in typical boy fashion D will let me kiss him and then wipe it off!  It was not so long ago that I could cuddle up with them for hours if I wanted to and now 10 minutes is my lot!  Oh how I wish I could go back to when they were tiny and enjoy them as babies instead of stressing so much about everything and feeling like I had something to prove.

A&D's pre-school presentation after their
olympic themed leavers party

Then there is Teeny's too.  I cannot believe that he will be 13 weeks old tomorrow.  Where did that go?  I have already had to force myself to take the wedge out of Teeny's car seat last week because he was so squashed up in it, but I was am so desperate to keep him small I hadn't been able to take it out.  I feel so sad that already he needs me less.  I know most people yearn for their baby to sleep  through the night and I am pretty sure I did with A&D (it was a very difference experience with them though), but I feel a little sad that, apart from the odd occasion, Teeny does not need to nurse during the night anymore.  It was our one time to have a sneaky little cuddle; for me to smell him and be in awe of the lovely little life before me without anybody to disturb us and now that is over far too quickly  Where has my teeny tiny squidgy baby gone?

Not So Squidgy

Maybe I am feeling it more because I know Teeny is very likely to be my last baby.  I don't think I will ever be one of those women who says they never want another baby, but at some point reality has to kick in.  I am not very materialistic, but I do not want us to struggle financially as they grow up and we are really not that well off now so as much as I would love to have more I think we would really struggle if we did.  I also want to have a new career vocation once they are all at school; I feel very blessed that we have a situation that works for us in that we both work and get to spend a great amount of time with our children, but the job that I will go back to after my maternity leave is the means to an end for us, you know a stopgap and not something I want to do for the rest of my life.  I want to do something meaningful that I am passionate about and for my children to see that passion in me.  I never want them to think that they have to settle.

I peruse so many "mommy blogs" which are beautiful and filled with love and endless hours of mommies doing so many wonderful things with their children and I really yearn for that kind of lifestyle because I don't want to have regrets about what I missed out on when my children were growing up, but I have no idea how to make that a reality.  I am by no means any kind of super housewife and I certainly don't live in a show home (if only), but a lot of the time life just takes over and I am desperate to relax and make more special time with the wonderful children I have and cherish them in every way possible.

I just want to press pause to keep them still and small and just hold them and never let them go, but even if it were possible it would be selfish.  I know that what I actually have to do is nurture them and encourage their independence so that when it is time their wings will open and they won't be afraid to fly.

I'm off now for a little cry...

"The greatest gifts you can give your children are the roots of responsibility and the wings of independence."  DENIS WAITLEY

FIGHTING A LOSING BATTLE - ROUND 1

Ok so I have mentioned before that I have an infinite number of partially written posts that I am desperate to finish and publish (in chronological order for the sake of the children when they come to read it when  they are older and for my sake when I look back), but despite my desire to I am really struggling to find the time to blog at all lately.

Anyway here are a couple of posts I have finally managed to remove from my "draft" list.

Teeny's First Bath

Teeny Is All Official

TREASURES FROM INDIA

The most special treasure we received from India today was in the form of a vist from my lovely sister in law, Karen, who has just got back from a five week business trip there.

I have to say that I have missed her a lot.  It isn't as if I see her every day or anything like that, but we do see each other regularly and I think that the knowledge that she wasn't a five minute drive away was enough to make me miss her.  That trip also meant that we were not able to celebrate each other's birthdays together which made me miss her even more; oh that and the fact that she photographed Teeny's birth for me and he was only four weeks when she left and he is now nine weeks was a bit emotional for me too.

Karen brought with her some treasures for my tiddlers.  These were in the form of 24 lovely purple and gold sparkley and jangley bangles for A (I know there are 24 because madam made a point of sitting and counting them).  These are perfect for her as she is VERY into her jewellery at the moment; this is definitely nature not nurture because I have to say that unless I am going out I am not really a very girly girl whereas from an early age my daughter has been like a magpie when it comes to sparkly things.  In fact one of her first words was pretty.

D received a little green elephant statue which he loved and took straight to put on the window ledge in his room.  D you see loves anything and everything green and Karen knows this so this was a very well thought out gift for him.

Teeny, however, got something extra special; not because he is more special to her than A&D I might add, but because this is his welcome to the world present from her.  He was so lucky  to receive two beautiful bangles that I absolutely love.  They are gorgeous and unique, but the thing that makes me love them the most is because he hasn't had any other keepsake type gifts so this makes them an extra special gift from an extra special person.



Treasures