Sunday, November 27, 2011

Young Love

It's happening.  That 13 year old boy I told you all about a couple of weeks ago - I think he's in lurve.  I think he's growing up as I look at him.  Right before my eyes.  And I'm not quite ready!

The first signs were easy to spot.  He spoke her name a few times, told me he had a new friend who catches the bus to school.  And then last week, he asked if he could catch the early bus to school?  Ummmm, yeh, why?  "Well, um, well, Jane* (I shall not completely embarrass him, although I would be stunned if he even knew I wrote a blog!) texted me and asked if I would catch the early bus".  Ok, but why?  "Um, well, she has some printing to do at school, so I'll just go with her".  Took me all my time not to ask a million questions, but I did ask one - Is Jane your girlfriend?

"Well, sort of, yeh".

Hmmmm..........new territory.  I let him catch the bus early, because later that evening we had another conversation, where I asked for more details.  Like, what does "sort of" mean?  Well, it turns out sort of means that he asked her out, she said yes, then a few days later she said she needed to focus on her schoolwork not a boyfriend.  I LIKE THIS GIRL!!!!  My husband read that as - her parents told her she was too young to have a boyfriend, and needs to focus on her school work!  If this is accurate - I like this girl's parents!

I can tell he is rather smitten with this very smart young lady.  He caught the early bus every day, got off at her stop, waited for her, and then waited for the next bus.  He posted a photo of the two of them to his Facebook page one morning - in which I commented he needed to open his eyes, and he said the sun got in the way.  Phew, still signs he hasn't completely grown up!  

As much as I am loving watching my little boy blossom in to a young man, it frightens me.  Although we have a REALLY honest and very open Mother/Son relationship, I know what lies ahead of him.  I know there are going to be a million hurdles before he gets to man-hood, and I know that it is going to be quite a road to travel.  But I want to hold his hand.  I re-assure him (probably too often) that whatever he has ahead of him, whatever he does - his parents have already been there.  This shocked him the first time I told him, and I could tell he didn't believe me.  But last week, he came home with the news that strangely, there had been a big shift amongst the kids at school, and all of a sudden, he wasn't being picked on.  He has made new friends.  It was then that I asked him if he now believed me?  Only a couple of months ago, when the kids at school were really pushing his buttons and being general pains in the proverbial, I told him it wouldn't be forever.  And it seems he now believes me.  The tide has changed.

How much longer do I have with this little boy who likes to talk?  Who believes what his Mother says?  Who still comes in the door at the end of the day and tells me all about his day and every last little detail about everything?  I'm crossing everything I have that he will always be this way, and that I just "lucked in" with this teenage boy.

Is it always this strange to have your first child enter teenage years?

Saturday, November 26, 2011

A letter to David Davis....





I don't know if you have heard about the Victorian Nurse's troubles here in Melbourne (you can read about it here) at present, but it is basically a stand off with our Government  because they are seeking nurses accept a 2.5% pay rise, in exchange for giving up Nurse/patient ratios.  Hence, making nurse's workplaces a more dangerous and stressful environment.  Yesterday, a friend of mine, posted on Facebook that she had been threatened with 12 months jail, a $6600 fine and the docking of her wages because she will not agree to those terms.  It unfuriated me, so I asked what I could do to help?  This is what I have sent:




"Dear David,

I have been forwarded your email address from a friend of mine, who yesterday was threatened with jail and a huge fine, because she did not accept a 2.5% pay rise and a cut to her patient/nurse ratio.  She has not closed one single bed or refused to treat one single patient, yet her name was taken so that legal action may be taken against her.

I, as a member of the public, and a user of the state public health system, find this deplorable.  I cannot accept that a caring, compassionate human being, who educated themselves in the field of looking after others, could be treated so terribly, and undervalued so greatly.  It troubles me that you and your peers and this Government find it acceptable behaviour, and troubles me even more so that you think the desirable outcome of your actions - a small pay rise along with cutting greatly the nurse/patient ratio - is going to be "ok".

I have been hospitalised many times over my 36 years, four of those times whilst having my children.  I cannot believe that you would undervalue the job that the midwives do and the invaluable experience they bring to new mothers at their most vulnerable time in their lives?  I believe midwives have one of THE most important jobs.  Bringing a new life in to this world is not an easy task, and midwives help to ease the worry of doing so as well as the questions of millions of new mothers.

Not once have I come across a nurse who is not worth double the amount they are paid.  They are the comforters in our public health system.  The people who patients, and patient's families call on first in their times of need.  They put up with a bevy of bad behaviour, mistreatment and disrespectful patients also.  And they do it with a smile on their face.  And yet, you still undervalue their worth?

Please re-think your actions, and realise that the nurses who are not accepting of your terms, are merely thinking of the risks those terms present to us - their patients, as well as them, as employees.  It will cost your government far more in legal action from patients who have not received the care they deserve, because they have not had enough nurses working in the health system.

Thanking you

Melissa Gottliebsen
Melbourne, Victoria"


If you would like to help, you too can email David at david.davis@parliament.vic.gov.au  Let him know that he and his government's treatment of our nurses is not acceptable!

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

100th Post Give-away Winner!

A big THANK YOU to everyone who took part in my little old give-away!  As I said the other day - I know I don't have a huge "following" here in bloggy land (well, I have a few more now!), but I appreciate everyone who quietly reads along with my and my mundane, everyday life!

So......here's the line-up of possible winners:

Apologies for my delightful writing - now you understand why I type!


And here is the WINNER:

Love Random.org
That would be:


Nic said...
Happy 100th Blog Ms Midge xo

Contact me Nic to claim your $25 Voucher for Ms Midge!

What lengths would you go to.....

.....To get a brand of clothing?  Really, this is a serious question.  I ask this because I have just read on the page of an extremely popular brand of little girl's clothing, that "fans" of this brand will go as far as paying for flights from interstate, to attend a market, in the hope of picking up these items!  And I'm shocked.

I am guessing that this now confirms that I am not a "brand snob"?  I have never been overly worried about where I have bought my clothes from, nor my children's.  It still irks me, even after ten years of being together, that my husband prefers to wear branded clothing - whether it be sports socks or t-shirts.  And what is irking me even more, is that I now have a teenage boy who is becoming more and more aware of the so-called "importance" of wearing or owning branded items.  Don't get me wrong - I understand the pressure kids are under to feel like they fit in, and are not looked upon as "dorks" lol.  So we were lucky to go to a huge warehouse sale for a surf/skate brand earlier this year, where we got almost $1500 worth of clothing etc for the whole family for around $250!  Can't look a gift-horse in the mouth.....

So, what's your take on this?  How far would you go?

Sunday, November 20, 2011

My 100th Post!! Give-away?

I just came on here to blog about the fact I have just joined the Pinterest community - and then I noticed it was my 100th post!  So then I started to think about how I would be wasting such a monumental moment on telling you about Pinterest?!?!  And then I started to think about how I should celebrate actually logging in to Blogger and managing to spew forth my thoughts 100 times?  And of course - now I am over-thinking it!  Heheheh.......

So, back to Pinterest......I have been watching, reading, stumbling across many bloggers who have been raving about Pinterest.  About how they are "pinners".  About how they found such and such's pin and it's totally like amazing!!  But I was scared.  Another online community.  Another thing that could (and will) lead me to wasting more of my precious time sitting in front of the computer.  So I joined.....

I was lovingly invited by a couple of cool chicks I "know" from a uber cool Sewing Group on Facebook. And after a few no doubt ridiculous questions from myself......I managed to pop my pinning cherry!  What did I pin?

My all time favourite fabric!
And then I pinned some more.......and more.....and more!  I have already wasted an hour.  Ho-hum.  But what I have done in that hour, is move all of my bookmarked websites, links etc onto "boards"!  And it looks so much prettier on my Pinterest boards than it does down the side of my iMac screen!  I am actually quite thrilled!

Ok, back to celebrating 100 posts.......

How would you like $25 to spend at Ms Midge?  Well, there's a couple of ways you can enter!

1.  Comment on this blog post
2. "Like" Ms Midge on Facebook, and leave a comment on the wall (if you're already a liker, let me know that!)
3.  Follow this blog!

Each of the above options gives you one entry in to the give-away!  I know I "only" have 11 followers here in bloggy land.....but I know for certain there's a whole lot of you out there who silently follow me and encourage me in other forms!  Thanks again! xx


Sunday, November 13, 2011

Teenager

I just looked up Teenager in the dictionary.  "A person in their teens".....gee, thanks!  No instructions, no manual, no nothing.  Today, my eldest son turns 13.  I'm in shock.  Where have those 13 years gone?  Who is this man-child that stands before me?  What do I need to know in order to keep him my little boy for just a little bit longer?  I'm in shock.

This first joy of my life arrived on this earth in the most excruciating fashion.  I was a somewhat naive 23 year old girl, married for 18 months, still not completely comfortable in my own skin.  Enter: childbirth.  I was prepared.  Well I thought I was prepared.  Ten days overdue, contractions began at 2am on Friday the 13th - an omen?  Hours were spent up and down out of bed trying to stay calm - and then my waters broke.  Along with hell.

Trying to have a shower in labour is not ideal.  Trying to do so whilst your ever-so-caring Maltese Mother-in-law opens the door and offers her help is extremely unnerving! The unfamiliar painful drive to the hospital was followed by a painful wheelchair trip to the Labour Ward.  I can still remember holding on to the doorway of the room and looking right in to my Mother's eyes and telling her "I don't think I can do this"......to which she replied "It's too late".

What followed in the hours after this is nothing short of hideous.  Trying the bath, because it's supposed to ease the pain - wrong.  Trying pethadine because it's supposed to ease the pain - wrong.  Trying anything and everything to ease the pain - wrong.  It turns out my beautiful boy was posterior - ie. his spine was on my spine. This is something I wasn't told until well in to labour.  Let it be said that with my next pregnancy, when I found out late in the pregnancy baby was posterior.....I did every exercise invented to move that baby's position!

Hours spent on my back writhing in agony, sucking furiously on a gas mask, were eventually over.  But not before a dozen doctors, midwives and students made their way through the room observing.  I was a spectacle!  Forceps were attempted - no go.  Some sort of mechanical vacuum device was attempted - sorry, don't have all the parts, no go.  So lucky me got a delightful episiotomy.  My delivery ended at 2.10pm, with legs in stirrups and my lady bits out there for all and sundry.  But as is always generally the case, all of this pandemonium ended when a great big ball of dark hair and chubby skin was placed on my chest.  I was in shock.

Lachlan was a tender nine pounds, nine ounces.  Nothing short of enormous for my little frame.  But the immediate love and affection I felt for this little man was amazing.  He has now grown in to an amazing teenager.  One that is loving, caring and a lot of the time incredibly annoying!  But I would go through all of that pain, agony and shock to get the same result.

Happy 13th birthday my dear Lochie.  

Monday, November 7, 2011

A Sanitary Post......Curious?

Firstly - a disclaimer - I can't take any responsibility for making any men squirm when they read this post!

This afternoon I was enlightened.....Whilst catching up on people's posts in a Facebook sewing group I am a part of, I came across this post:

"I want to make some cloth panty liners but my normal cloth pads slip around and I find myself "adjusting" the pad all the time.  I need a fabric that is going to stop the pad from slipping around.  Does anyone have any fabric suggestions?"

I actually had to re-read it a few times to make sure I understood exactly what they were talking about.  Re-usable sanitary pads?  Really?  This is something I had only heard about from my Mum's era.  I was intrigued!

So I read on, and was amazed at how many women actually use them!  And there are thriving businesses out there who make and supply them!  I actually felt right out of the loop, considering I have not had to wander the supermarket aisle that supplies the disposable version since my ovaries lost their home base.  I may have been naive in thinking that all women just moved swiftly through aisle number 7 (or whatever aisle they happen to be in) grabbing a couple of boxes of whatever works for them!

I'm all for personal choice, environmental factors and really, generally just people who make choices for themselves, but now I'm really curious.......does anyone reading this use the environmentally friendly version of sanitary products?  And why do you use them?  Just for curiosity's sake!






Sunday, November 6, 2011

Why I don't (generally speaking) drink alcohol.....

Because I am currently sitting in front of this computer with glazed over eyes, and would like to go and crawl in to bed!  I have blisters the size of ten cent pieces on my toes from inappropriate footwear.  My bank account is a little less flush......

I honestly do not understand how people can drink regularly, copius amounts of alcoholic beverages, and function like a normal human being?  How does that work?

I went out with a wonderful bunch of girlfriends last night, to celebrate the impending marriage of one of the girls.  I knew it was going to be a big night, based on past experience.....the last hens night we had as a group, we "retired" to our apartment room at approximately 5am......and it was not a pretty sight a few hours later when we wandered down to a local cafe for must-have greasy breakfast.  Last night was not as late, but I think I may have consumed more vodka this time round!  Add to that I stupidly decided to wear high heels instead of my comfy silver sandals - and you have one weary mumma today.....

The greatest part of being out?  We are all Mummies, with young kids - some of them only months old.  So to let our hair down and shake our proverbial booties, is a rarity - and an absolute scream of a time!  I never laugh as much as I do when I'm out with them, nor act as stupidly and much less than my age!



I've said it before here, and will say it again - Friends......love them!

Saturday, November 5, 2011

Progress is being made....

Ooh, ooh!  Just wanted to share......with anyone who could care.....I have been attempting to make my first ever quilt!  It is for a very special little newborn girl in London - Ms Sadie.  Her Mummy told me she loved greens and pinks - so I searched and came up with Riley Blake's Sugar & Spice!  And I have just sewn all of the HAND CUT (nope, no rotary cutter in this house - yet!) 12cm squares all sewn together!  I'm quite proud of myself, as it seems to be quite "square".  Only one mistake so far - one little square the wrong way around....oh well!




I've got some lovely white flannelette for the backing as well as some beautiful cotton batting!  I'm not really sure what I should be doing next, so will have to refer to Google!  Or if any of you lovely readers are crafty/quilters, feel free to share!

A Just Because Post!

I am extremely pleased to say that I have had an influx of orders come in to Ms Midge, and I'm thrilled that so many people appreciate my work!  But this week has also brought a tonne of social events and work (you know, my "real job"), which has left not much time for this sewing gig!  And I have a feeling, in the lead up to Christmas, it's only going to get crazier!  It's making me wonder how on earth I am going to get everything done?  I have come up with a plan......I'm going to schedule "sew like a mad woman" days in to my diary, and I'm going to stick to it!

The latest addition to the Ms Midge range are these yummy Christmas frocks:


I wanted to give them a bit of a modern twist, so mixed the soft denim with the Holly Birds print!  Both of my girls squealed when they saw them - so I'm guessing they will be happy to wear them this festive season!  I also made up this yummy little skirt:


I love these little Paper Dolls prints....and it looks gorgeous with a plain top and matching headband/brooch!

Do the little ones in your life like to dress up in Christmas outfits?
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...