Wearing Suits

If you had asked me 30 years ago, where I would be at 50, well I had a completely different picture in my head to what it actually is.

I would have said that I would be in Australia, in a nice house with a nice car, with a nice little office job and that I would wear a suit.  My husband would also have a nice little office job and wear a suit.  My children would have been grown and left home, in their own little houses, with their own little jobs in suits.

Goodness me!  How more wrong could I have been.

Instead, I live in a completely different country, my house is DIY chaos and probably will be all my life and my car is probably worse than the one I had at university.    My husband wears work boots, filthy jeans, a hard hat (when he remembers!) and runs his own company. My children are still with me, and I doubt very much they will leave for many many years and they most probably won’t have jobs that require wearing a suit!  And most importantly I found out early on that I do not like office jobs and I HATE HATE suits.

So now I run my own business – full time, all the time.  I have given up my lovely editorial job, as I was running out of time in the day and I have taken a very huge and scary leap into the unknown to be completely responsible for everything that I do. (And that’s why I haven’t written a blog for a bit – it’s been a big step!)

Check me out: http://www.litusdigital.co.uk/

I love my life – even though it is not what I would have pictured 30 years ago and even though it’s messy, chaotic, scary, full of mistakes, up and down and just all over the place really.  But it’s all MY mess and chaos and it’s full of great people, it’s very creative and interesting and I wouldn’t change it for the world – although I am quaking in my boots half the time.

And do you know what? I don’t even own a jacket – let alone a full suit!

Bogged Down..

Sorry…

Haven’t written for ages.

No real excuse.  I have just been bogged down in the mundanity of life as a working mother.

The endless piles of washing, drying, ironing, putting away, finding more dirty clothes strewn on the floor and therefore starting again.

The daily planning of meals, shopping for food, putting away of food, the cooking of food and the constant sound of complaining about what food was cooked.  Why do they have to eat EVERYDAY???

The ceaseless emptying of the dishwasher, only to walk into the living room and find cups and plates everywhere, to go back and fill the dishwasher and start the whole process AGAIN.

Cleaning the floor – then to have everyone walk in with wet, snowy, muddy shoes AND STAND ON THE LIVING ROOM FLOOR RUG!  And then look surprised when I YELL at them.

So I haven’t been inspired to write anything uplifting or positive or mind blowing.  Winter in a small half finished house – is just messy, dull and endless.

Hubby has put up some cabinets in the bathroom.  They are very nice and he did a good job.  And we all thanked him profusely and congratulated him on a job well done.  He beamed at the praise.

 

I don’t get that feeling.  That feeling of totally completing a job and knowing that it’s finished forever.  My jobs are never ending, eternal, perpetual, without end. I never get that smug sense of satisfaction, because I know I will just have to start all over again the next day, doing all the same things, yelling all the same things. And nobody particularly notices I have done anything and nobody congratulates me on a job well done.

Ah the mundanity of it all…..

Leading by example?

We teach our children by telling them what and how to do things.  But we also teach them by our example.

 

The only problem in a dual adult household is that there are x2 examples.

They may differ.

One adult may walk into the house, take off muddy shoes, clean muddy shoes, put shoes in wardrobe, hang up coat in coat closet, put bag in secure tidy place, unpack shopping to appropriate places.  One adult may walk into house, all the way in, with muddy shoes and take them off and put them in the middle of the floor on the rug, then leave coat flung over sofa, dump bag in middle of the coffee table and place shopping heaped on kitchen counters.

One adult may eat 3 x nutritious meals a day.  One adult may buy lots of crap food and snack on crap food all day – usually on the sofa with no plate, spreading crumbs and empty packets everywhere.

One adult may have a quick and efficient bath, hanging up towels neatly, wiping any splashed water up.  One adult may wallow in the bath for an hour, leave dirty clothes on floor and wet towel crammed in towel rack with no chance of drying.

One adult may place plates, cups, saucepans etc straight into dishwasher after use and wipe kitchen counters if any mess was made.  One adult may leave cups, plates all over the house and put saucepans into the sink filled with water to “magically” soak and has never wiped a kitchen counter or breadboard EVER.

One adult may tackle tasks as soon as possible and organise time to achieve things promptly and efficiently.  One adult may leave things to the last minute, resulting in a mad scramble panic, and is always late.

One adult may get very frustrated at the other adult and ask nicely once and then start screeching like a banshee.  One adult may then grin like a naughty child and think it’s funny.

As a couple this may not seem a huge problem, as people are different, and the point of a relationship is compromise and acceptance of others.

But as a parent it is very painful.  Especially when one child calmly responds to any requests…

“Well that’s what Daddy does!  So why can’t I?”

ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Broken Things

So we have a Kitten.

She is very, very naughty.

But ever so cute.

I have now lost a total of 6 houseplants and my beautiful handmade woollen curtains from Morocco have little claw marks all up them.

The kids are freaking out, thinking that I will be upset.

But I’m not.

I had to remind them of when they have broken things and my reaction.  They sat and thought for a bit and realised that I don’t really get cross about “things”.

I will buy new houseplants when the Kitten has calmed down a bit and doesn’t feel the need to rampage around the house and in the plants.  I will carefully wash and press my beautiful woollen curtains from Morocco and you won’t even see the claw marks.

I asked the children what they thought I got cross about.  The answer they came up with was – Rudeness, Laziness, Nastiness, Thoughtlessness and taking Mummy for granted.

Well that’s it in a nutshell.  As I have got older – things have become so unimportant – that’s not to say that I don’t like things, but I have just realised that they are all replaceable.  Plus living in a half finished house for all of my married life – well you sort get used to broken things.

But goodness me – if you disrespect your Mummy and don’t do what you she tells you – then that’s when you will see Mummy get really cross and that includes the Kitten…

The Kitten got excluded today because she was being mean to the Dog and he had had enough. The Dog and I had a peaceful cup of tea, whilst she was locked upstairs – we could hear her meowing, but we didn’t care.  Rudeness will not be tolerated!!!

Friendship Lessons

Every afternoon as soon as she gets in the car after school, Baby Girl starts talking, nonstop, excitedly.  She tells me everything that anyone has said that day (the kids obviously, not the adults, they don’t count and aren’t important).  She then discusses what they meant by saying such and such and how that made her feel and where that person is in the pecking order of the social structure and why the other person said what they did and how it impacted her world.

It’s all so very, very intricate and messy.  Complicated Boy and I sit in silence until it ends.  If we try to offer an opinion or help, we are told that we “Just don’t understand!”.

Don’t get me wrong, she’s happy and doing well and has lots of friends and revels in all the nuances and details.  But me oh my it would make me so very confused and tired.

I have tried to think back to my school days and I don’t remember it being that complicated.  I can remember the “In” crowd and popular people and the different groups and gossip.  But I don’t remember the confusing details of the actual friendships.

As you get older I think you do forget how hard it all was, and you learn how to operate in circles of people to ensure a friendly atmosphere.  You draw around you the people you really like and let go of the people that you don’t.

So, I think that there should be lessons, especially for girls, on friendship.

1.  If you think someone is nice, go and talk to them, be nice and friendly and invite them for a sleep over.
2. If you think someone is nice, but not really your cup of tea, talk to them and be nice and friendly, but don’t invite them over for a sleep over.
3. If you think someone is not nice and not your cup of tea, still talk to them if approached and be nice and polite, but definitely don’t invite them for a sleep over.
4. When you are with your friends – ask about them and things that are important to them.  If they are good friends they will eventually ask about you, enabling you to talk about yourself.  Don’t go in straight away making it all about you.
5. When you are with your friends – don’t talk nastily about other people.  You may think they will keep your confidence, but they won’t.  In fact, if you can’t say something nice about somebody, don’t say anything at all.
6. If you are in a situation that makes you feel uncomfortable and you know is wrong, walk away. Have a code that you can text your parents, so they will give you an excuse to go and to come and pick you up.
7. When you are growing up, you are developing your own style and personality.  Big lesson – it doesn’t have to be like everyone else, you can be different, you can be yourself AND in fact it is better to be different. Don’t be beige and the same as everyone else.
8. If someone says something to you – take it at face value.  Don’t read anything in to it.  Don’t make it more complicated than it is.  Because it usually isn’t complicated, most people do actually mean exactly what they say.
9. And finally, don’t stop telling mummy everything, she may “not understand!” but she is listening, worrying and hopefully being helpful and supportive.

Good luck Baby Girl… I hope you come out of this with some wonderful, wonderful friends and a confidence and happiness to get you through life.

Another Year….

New Year….New You???

No thank you…I’m just going to keep plugging away with the old me.  The old me seems to work okay.  She seems to be able to cope with most things.  So we will leave her as she is.

Although this year I hope to pour more of me into my fledgling business and maybe get some more customers and become so rich and successful that I could maybe get my haircut or buy some new bras – or even… if I become really, really, really successful…take a day off.  HAHAHAHAHAHA

Such simple desires. Sigh.

But I am looking forward to this year.  I have my gorgeous friend from Australia coming to visit at Easter.  So excited I keep giggling!!  And we have a trip booked to Santorini in Greece in the Summer with my mum.  Lots of sun, chilling and just being – can’t wait.  AND  I might even get a sneaky weekend away with my travelling friend (see my post about Italy) to Morocco in October.  I am busy searching good deals, so fingers crossed.

How exciting.

My mum’s plan for building a house in my sister’s garden have gone through – so that will be happening this year. It will be so fab for her.

We also have a new member of the household, who has won my heart and will make this year so much fun. Tiny little cheeky fluff ball called Yuno and she is such a loving, cuddly, little thing, that she makes you just sit down and be with her.  It’s great.

So I suggest to all of us – instead of looking to change for the New Year, I think we should just reflect on all the things we have achieved and how we are all surviving just fine and to look forward to the good things that are going to happen and could possible happen – like me getting some new bras!  Wouldn’t that be great!

Happy New Year gorgeous readers, all my love xxxxxxx

 

Wishes of a mother for christmas…

For all my darling friends, family and readers…

For Christmas I hope that you get all or at least some of the following…

1. 30 minutes to sit down – without a feeling of complete panic that you need to be doing something, without someone saying – can you… where is…  Just 30 minutes of completely sitting down in one spot, uninterrupted and peaceful.
2. A present just for you…. that you haven’t bought yourself, wrapped yourself, asked in detail for.  Just a small little present that is a surprise and that shows someone has taken a tiny bit of time to think about you.
3. For everyone to see the nice clean, decorated house you have slaved over…before it gets trashed with piles of wrapping paper and miscellaneous plates and cups.
4. For the children to actually be pleased with what Santa brought them, instead of just discarding them straight into a pile, that you will take up to their bedrooms later.
5. For the left overs in the fridge to be actually eaten instead of thrown away in a week’s time – making you cringe at the waste and the cost.
6. And most importantly – a peaceful, happy and healthy year to follow for you and all that you love.

Happy Christmas lovely ones and let’s all have a glorious New Year.

I used to dance….

I used to go to dance class when I was young.  I went 3 to 4 times a week from the age of 4, until I was about 13.  I did Ballet, Tap, Jazz and Modern.  And I was very, very bad at it.

And no, I am not over-exaggerating. I was the tall, gangly, awkward girl in the back row, who always got the award for “Tries Hardest” or “Most Improved” (which frankly was a lie, but I think my teacher was trying to be encouraging.)

I was so uncoordinated, and I knew that I would never be like the pretty, perfectly proportion girls in my glass.  For one thing my feet were the size of plates of meat.

But…I really liked it and although sometimes I cringe thinking of myself flailing around, I do have fond memories.

My mum put me in dance class because I was extremely shy and slightly pigeon toed.  Well I’m only a little bit shy now (new people make me babble :)) and I am still slightly pigeon toed.  It was also excellent child care, as I could walk straight from school to the community centre (stopping off for a bag of roasted pumpkin seeds from the health food shop – gosh the things you remember heh!). and then Mum would pick us up on the way home from her work.

So, when my daughter had a choice of Brownies/Guides or Ballet class – I pushed her into Ballet class.  I hope that she will have fond memories like me and I am pleased to say she has her father’s genes and is quite good (phew!).

AND……..

I have started dancing again.  On Monday nights I join a bunch of lovely ladies and we do half an hour of Tap and half an hour of Ballet.  It’s glorious.  It’s hilarious. It’s good for me and it is so much fun.

It doesn’t matter that I am really bad at it.  It doesn’t matter that I am tall, gangly and awkward – because nobody cares, and I won’t need “Most Improved” certificates to keep going.  I love it and it makes me smile and that’s all that counts.

To be young and ill…….Remember when?

Remember when you were young and single…. remember when you were feeling poorly…. you would crawl out of bed and phone work and say you weren’t coming in that day and then you would crawl back into bed and go back to sleep.

Sigh…..

Remember when you got out of bed…nothing had happened.  Absolutely nothing had changed.

The house would be exactly as you left it when you went to bed.  No cupboards would have exploded their contents all over the kitchen. And no miscellaneous shoes, bags and crap would have appeared anywhere!

The washing pile may only have a few more PJ’s in and not have got so big it started walking itself down the stairs.

The fridge and cupboards would still have the food in it that was there before you were ill.  The junk food would still be there.

The dishes in the sink would maybe be a tea mug and a plate, that you used to have some toast. Not a pile so big that it rivalled the Himalayas.

Nobody would really even have noticed that you had disappeared for a bit to recover. Nobody would have needed you to drive them anywhere, or cook them dinner or do anything.  Everybody would have left you completely alone, they wouldn’t have talked at you incessantly through your pounding headache.

The house would have been silent, completely silent.  No TV, no Tablets blaring Youtube, no shoot’em up computer games.  Silent…very, very silent.

And the most amazing thing is that you would have fully recovered, because you had done the sensible thing that your body needed.  You had rested, totally rested. You would bounce back to normal because you were young, and your body had been given the blissful time it needed to heal.

Sigh….

I miss that…..

I could cry that I miss that so very much….

Are we alone?

Today I had lunch with the gorgeous ladies that I did my study course with.  We talked and talked and talked.

We dumped all our worries, complaints, moans, triumphs and highlights for each other to hear.

“Oh my, I am so glad you feel like that, I do too!”  “That happens to you too?  I thought I was the only one!”

It is such a wonderful thing to be able to share our load with each other.  We all feel so supported and understood and relieved.

I have other friends that I am able to do this with as well.  And I couldn’t survive without any of them.

We all scurry and hurry along in our life coping and stressing and doing and sorting out, and seemingly doing everything right as a woman, wife, mother etc etc.

It is only when we take time to get together and really be honest with each other, that we can help each other.  Sometimes things are crap – and we don’t need to be pitied and patted on the head with “Poor you!”  What we need is a hug and a cup of coffee and a bit of woman talking and love.

Sometimes we are struggling with our relationships with our children or partner – it doesn’t mean we want to give them to social services or get a divorce.  What we need is good old raucous bitch session with our friends.

We need to connect to realise that we are perfectly normal feeling like a failure and in fact we are not a failures.  We need to express things in a caring and safe place and know we won’t be judged.  Otherwise I don’t think we can survive this mad hectic life that is womanhood.

So if someone asks you to have coffee with them – make time.  If you can organise to have a girly lunch – do it.  We need each other and we need to be honest with each other.  Because we are all just winging it and trying our best and feeling crap sometimes and feeling a failure sometimes – but do you know what…actually we are doing okay and we are nice people and it will alright in the end.

Love you ladies xxx