Posts Tagged "Memes and Awards"
Dreamy Meme
Time, I think, for my second meme of the week as promised (with an appropriate gap to allow for meme overload black hole blog implosions).
Sandy Calico tagged me in a beautiful Dream Meme, started by Zooarcheaologist (who’s blog I have only JUST discovered – how slow am I?!). It’s simple… share a dream. And since I had some free writing to do for my OU course tonight I thought I would just combine the two.
So here goes. My dream…
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I open my eyes. It is half light, the early morning sunshine shifting through the linen curtains, making patterns on the multi-coloured quilt. Ant is fast asleep, as is the small, peaceful form of my baby daughter in her crib by our bed. The quiet sounds of their breathing overlap, creating one soft sound.
I shift my head to look at the clock. 6.00am. Time for up.
I swing my legs round from under the quilt and my feet sink into the the thick, soft pile of the carpet, padding quietly over to retrieve my dressing gown from the door and tiptoe out of the room. Down the long corridor, passing open doorways with rooms of peaceful space, gentle light and fresh flowers. I pause at the half open door that sports the enthusiastically scribbled Keep Out! sign with skull and cross bone warning, tentatively poking my head around. It is Kai’s room. A tousled blond mop peeps out from under a mass of tangled duvet, one smooth foot hanging lopsided over the edge of the mattress.
All is still. I smile and continue on my way.
Down the curving stair case, hand on the old wooden banister, half-skipping as I always have down stairs, ever since I was girl, resisting the urge to slide my way down. Within ten minutes I am seated at my desk, a mug of steaming hot tea in front of me, my laptop open and I am writing. The fire crackles softly, taking the chill off the fresh spring morning that I have let in through the large open window. The sound of the sea washing over the large cluttered room, the shelves of books and papers and toys nestled comfortingly next to each other to keep warm. Words flow from my finger tips, creating worlds upon worlds, stories of magic and wonder and dark mysteries.
I pause, now and then to look up and out at the view through the window in front of me. Watching the colours of the sea turn from grey to blue to green and swirling back to grey again in the gradually emerging light, white flecked as it breaks on the sandy beach I can spy over the low fence at the bottom of my garden. Chickens cluck companionably, scratching at the dry earth. Our tortoiseshell cat watching lazily from his vantage point of the windowsill, his tail flicking. Before the story and the magnetic pull of the words on the screen draw me and back and in and under…
Massaging my forehead with my fingertips, I stop and look up, pleased with my morning’s work, an hour having passed me by without me even noticing. My eyes come to rest on the letter on my desk, half hidden under a pile of tattered and bulging notebooks. It is the publisher’s letter of acceptance for my latest novel, the zero’s of my advance fee making me blink again in disbelief, making me read it all over again from the start. As I read the glowing words I half expect it to morph into the once familiar “Thank you for your submission Mrs George, but…” that would once make me retreat to the darkness of my duvet for days at a time. But it does not.
Underneath crowd other letters. Offers from magazines for features and guest writing opportunities, notifications of nominations for awards and book signing schedules. My fingers pinch the skin on my arm tentatively. It is real. I am awake. This is my life now.
Suddenly I hear a run of eager footsteps on the steps and the door opens in a rush and blur of motion and arms and legs as Kai throws himself into my lap to kiss me good morning before quickly pulling away and scooping up the huge quilt I made last winter from the soft, leather sofa and making a nest for himself on the floor in front of the fire to play. Filling my quietness with chatter and dramatic sound effects as dinosaurs battle pirates in a complicated attack on the hearth rug. I shut the laptop to sit and watch him play, sipping at my second cup of tea and remembering the time when my strong, tireless, curious boy was still a fidgety, uncompromising babe in arms and all the many adventures that have led us to this point. Difficulties and struggles forgotten in the simple, pure love and fierce pride I feel for this complex child of mine, of my bone and blood and temperament.
Before long I can hear the sound of movement upstairs and the giggles and play of Kai’s sister and their father as they wake up for the day. I contemplate the day ahead – a long, lazy Saturday filled with time together and leisurely breakfasts and long walks along the sand. I have never felt more alive, more connected, more complete as I do right now in this moment. Kai looks up at me with a grin and I smile.
Could life be any more perfect, I wonder?
No. I don’t think it could.
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So that’s my dream. What’s yours…?
Rachel at Life Slightly Used
Sylvie at There’s a NIP in the air
Ellen at World of a Mummy
Laura at Are We Nearly There Yet Mummy?
Read MoreProud to be Meme
I have been feeling the tag love recently (no, none-blogging folk that’s not some kind of venereal disease don’t worry). So many of you lovely bloggers have been tagging me in all kinds of memes and awards – thank you so much for thinking of me. I am working my way through them slowly so apologises if I don’t respond to them right away. I’m just going to sprinkle a few in here and there between regular posts so we don’t all suffer from a case of meme overload (which I’m told causes Blogs to implode and cause miniature virtual black holes: FACT).
Two recently though, have really stuck out and were just too good to put on the meme heap for later. I’m going to do one today, and one by the very lovely Sandy Calico later on in the week (so as to avoid the black hole scenario). Here’s meme no. 1:
My very good real life friend Not Such A Yummy Mummy (yes! I do have them!!) decided to start her very own meme last week, and a very special one it is too. I shall let her describe it in her own words:
“In the last few weeks I’ve noticed that a lot of people are a bit down. The weather has turned, dark mornings and nights are creeping in, swine flu and general illnesses are on the increase, the recession continues (not according to some but I’m still bloody skint), Christmas and all the present buying is just around the corner. It’s a wonder most of us are still functioning.
I don’t think anyone is taking enough time out to think about their achievement, the things they are doing well and the things they are proud of. It’s much easier to beat ourselves up about what the don’t do or do badly.
So, I’m starting a meme… I’d like people to list 5 things they are proud of – it doesn’t have to be recent, it doesn’t even have to be big…”
Readers of this blog will already know that I, probably more than anyone, am guilty of frequently being too hard on myself, spending far too much beating myself up over my ‘failures’ and not enough time acknowledging the things I should be proud of. So an especially apt one for me – thank you my sweet.
1. I am proud of my resilience, of my ability to overcome all obstacles in my path no matter how big and not let them defeat me. Six years ago I was almost completely bed and wheel chair bound – did you know that? Getting well was the single most gruelling thing I have ever done… until now. But sleep deprivation is nothing, just a flash in the pan of my eventful life. Just like everything else I will work through it and be stronger and better for the lessons it has taught me. So there.
2. I am proud that, despite a difficult first few weeks, breastfeeding is still going strong 15 months down the line. And that I have such a thriving, healthy baby to show for it (although not so proud of the fried eggs that also seem to have resulted).
3. I am proud of the fact that on Sunday me and my little blog got a mention in the Independent – and on page 14 no less! (and not hidden in the back of a supplement somewhere).
4. I am proud of my incredibly diverse and interesting family, and the fact that we can all sit down together and share food, laughter and friendship together so regularly. I am proud that Kai gets to grow up with such wonderful role-models and be surrounded with so much love.
- I will ONLY eat my dinner mummy if you let me use YOUR fork. Ok?
5. And, last but my no means least, I am proud of my delightful, spirited, adventurous, exhausting, high-maintenance boy. I love how you steadfastly refuse to do anything that you haven’t decided to do yourself, that you will not be rushed, hurried, coerced or forced. I love that you know EXACTLY what you’re doing. In short, that you are as stubborn as you dear old complex mama. We’re going to make quite a team my boy.
Right. Now I need to tag 5 more people.
Here’s who I think should be VERY proud of themselves (and perhaps need reminding…)
Lindy at Sqidgyboo
Sally at Who’s the Mummy
Linda at You’ve got your hands full
Zombie Chickens have pooped in my Trophy Cabinet
Quick awards post while the monster is asleep (my total number hours of shut-eye last night… TWO! Joy!), then I promise I’ll be back with something more juicy later.
I’m starting to love these little badge awards thingys. Is it sad that they totally make my day?
Anyway. First off is a ‘Lovely Blog Award’ from the equally lovely Ruth over at Look Left of the Pleiades (although I have to be honest and say the cup full of pretty pink rose petals did make me throw up in my mouth a little bit). Thank you my favourite feminist typist. I am seriously coveting your turquoise and black stripy socks right now.
I am told this is an award for new blogs or blogs you have just discovered. So here’s who I’m passing it on to:
Firstly, OF COURSE! is my very special friend Emma of at Not Such A Yummy Mummy who has just started blogging and is now starting to make me regret introducing her to it all because she’d just that damned good. (And yes – she’s a REAL LIFE friend!!! See? I do have some! And I can testify that she is, in fact, a very yummy mummy no matter what she says).
The other is Kat over at Slugs on the Refrigerator, whose very brilliant blog I have just started reading. She says lovely affirming things about forgiving yourself for being imperfect and that creativity is WAY more important than housework (and if you haven’t read her post on creativity then you MUST – right now!). Oh, and she knits! I’m sold…
![zombie_chicken_award[1]](http://sleepisfortheweak.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/zombie_chicken_award1.JPG "zombie_chicken_award[1]")
My other award is probably going to go down as the greatest blog award in the history of time. Even if I blog for another 20 years I don’t think I’ll ever get another one quite so cool.
It’s the Zombie Chicken Award.
And was awarded by the wonderful Emily ‘Woah that’s a big one! Let’s take a photo of it!’ Bassin at Maternal Tales From The South Coast.
It is explained as follows:
“The blogger who receives this award believes in the Tao of the zombie chicken – excellence, grace and persistence in all situations, even in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. These amazing bloggers regularly produce content so remarkable that their readers would brave a raving pack of zombie chickens just to be able to read their inspiring words. As a recipient of this world-renowned award, you now have the task of passing it on to at least 5 other worthy bloggers. Do not risk the wrath of the zombie chickens by choosing unwisely or not choosing at all.”
Awesome.
So in the same spirit of Zombie Chicken Excellence I hereby pass this award-of-all-awards to the following five people:
The NDM at Not Drowning, Mothering. Of course – this award could have been written for you. I can’t think of a more a more worthy recipient. Now come and accept it graciously and no farting till you have left the stage area please.
Rebecca Weston-Super-Mum?(survey says… YES!) for accidentally eating something that was NOT Tesco Value Mousse and living to tell (and blog!) the tale. There but for the grace of god go I (I have a habit of sniffing things that look like, but are in fact not, chocolate – the tasting is only a matter of time).
Hazel Hot Cross Mum because her brilliant ‘Eliza Plum – Credit Crunch Mum’ was the best thing I’ve read in ages AND because she’s not letting her kids watch any TV for an entire week! Is she mad?! Or just very, very brave. Who knows (and no, I’m not following suit. When would I eat?!)
Amber at Strocel.com because her blog never fails to make the world seem a little sunnier and brighter and because she is my fellow adventurer in the whole ‘living your dreams’ writing bungee-jump I seem to have embarked on lately.
And last but not least, the fabulous Insomniac Mummy. Because she only had a baby 15 weeks ago and yet still manages to blog brilliantly and talk in whole sentences. She is my hero.
There you go! Congrats! x
Read MoreA Meme for Me Me
Hello all.
I”ll be honest. I’m having a bit of crud day. A crud couple of days actually. I started a great long moany post about how horribly hard life seems to insist on being at the moment but began to bore even myself so I stopped and took great pleasure in deleting all my self pitying nonsense.
Think yourself lucky you were spared. It was REALLY whiny and annoying – even for me.
Because truth is I should STFU and count my blessings. Yes, I seem to have been given the privilege of bringing up the World’s Most Difficult Child (well, I think he’d at least make the top 100, maybe top 20 on a bad day) but despite seriously making me question the wisdom of EVER deciding to have children and inflicting upon the world someone with my own horribly flawed genetic make-up, he is healthy, bright and, when not being the demon child from hell, actually rather lovely.
My huge great big kick up the rear came in the end from Sally over at Who’s The Mummy who has awarded SIFTW with this fab ‘Great Read’ award – how nice is that?!
Originally this meant I then had to tell you ten things about me, but Sally with her wonderful creative license tweaked it slightly to list ten happy memories. And because I need, NEED to remind myself of the positives tonight, I am going to follow her example and instigate a little tweak of my own.
So here we go.
10 reasons to be grateful that Kai is mine
1. No he doesn’t sleep. But the progressive sleep-deprivation training he has blessed me with over the last 14 months has made me mentally stronger and more resilient than I ever thought I could be. Need someone to hold up under torture? I’m your gal…
2. All that holding, carrying, rocking, and endless trips up and down the stairs every evening have given me biceps and calf muscles of steel. And I am thinner and fitter than I have been in as long as I can remember.
3. If it wasn’t for Kai I never would have discovered the very real joys that are extended breastfeeding, co-sleeping, baby wearing, attachment parenting and baby-led weaning. Without any of which my life, and my experience of motherhood would be far the lesser. By pushing me to my very limits, by constantly making me re-evaluate what I thought about babies and motherhood, Kai has forced me to adapt and find new ways to be a better parent. And I AM a better parent as a result. I don’t feel it most days, but I deep down I really believe that.
4. Kai gives the best cuddles in whole world. FACT. When not beating seven bells out of us he is probably the most affectionate, caring child you could ever hope to meet.
5. I used to be pretty lazy. It’s true. And self-absorbed and selfish. After having Kai I am now only slightly lazy, self-absorbed and selfish. That’s progress.
6. Watching Kai eat pasta bolognaise, laugh hysterically at random events until he falls down, dance and sing to everything even vaguely musical, crawl round with a farm animal in each hand and my bra around his neck, and try to whisper, makes up for all the crying, screaming, temper tantrums and abject refusal to anything he doesn’t want to do ten million times over.
7. His potential. Sometimes I look at him and I see the toddler, the boy, the man he will become and I shiver with excitement and anticipation (and a little fear). I wouldn’t want to miss that ride. Not for all the strong-black-tea-with-two-sugars in China.
8. For the joy and healing Kai’s arrival has brought to my family. He’s unified us in a way I never thought would have been possible, brought me closer to those I love the most, and the smile and the twinkle he brings to his very frail and elderly great-grandmother is worth every moment of heart-ache on it’s own.
9. I’m not a great believer in that ‘everything happens for a reason’ crap but I do sometimes wonder whether my experiences with Kai are preparing me for a time in my future when I’m going to need every ounce of my new found patience, tolerance, and finely honed sense of humour. Ant and I are just really, REALLY hoping it isn’t twins…
10. Yes Kai seems to need me a lot. A LOT a lot. In fact he seems to need me for something pretty much every minute of every day. But he also needs me. I will probably never be needed so much again in my entire life and I know I will miss that one day, very soon, when he is far too busy planning world domination, writing jokes about hilarious bodily functions and coming up with new and interesting things to do with dirt. I am grateful for this time of being so utterly, completely and unconditionally loved and needed. And will treasure that feeling forever.
So there we go, my Kai-ranasaurus, my little monster, my kling-on koala, my little bear. I love you. I love you a lot – just the way the you are.
Now for the love of god sleep you crazy child.
I’m now supposed to nominate some other blogs to pass on this lovely award to. For the purists amoung you feel free to revert to the whole ‘ten things about me’ clause. For the rest of you that are more ‘piss in the wind’ types then go nuts – 10 of anything is fine by me.
The following are deemed really, REALLY, great reads by me, the official authority on everything, so if you haven’t discovered them already I suggest you start clicking:
I know I need to stop talking…
Are we nearly there yet mummy?
Maternal Tales from the South Coast
Enjoy!!
