Dolly. Without the Hooties.

I think Matt's a little concerned that he's only just discovered my talent for mastering all the lyrics from Dolly Parton's Greatest Hits. It's a shame this blatant diva-liciousness has only just come to surface. I could have been a star.

Apparently you can get a True Country app on your iPhone. Shame I only have a BlackBerry. Hmph.

Beam Me Up Scottie

I don't really need to say anything. Do I?

Calling Mr Spielberg

Nicole Kidman. It might be vintage Dior. But E.T. called and wants you to phone home.

Picks So Far

My picks from the Oscars so far...

Amy Adams - loving that red hair with the midnight-blue sparkles. Simple, chic, elegant.

Cate Blanchett - sure she looks space age, but she looks beautiful. She's giving E.T. a run for his money.

Penelope Cruz - I'm not super big on the dress, but the look of love on their faces. AYE CARUMBA! Just like her flaming dress - they are SIZZLING!

Florence Welch - yes, yes, yes. LOVE!

Michelle Williams - it's a well-known fact that I love Michelle Williams. Classic, beautiful silhouette. Classy broad.

images via

Holy Hotballs

Natalie Portman. Hottest thing since sliced bread. And then some.

The End.

Relief

Last night the Doctor whispered to me. We were sitting on my bed together before his bedtime. Man I love cuddling my babes before they snuggle down for for sleep time.

"I'm having a great time at school. I didn't think I'd like it before, but I think it's really fun."

Funny little intuitive creatures. I've had such anxiety about school. We missed a note telling us about the Kindergarten Breakfast BBQ - so we missed it. I felt guilty. (And for those that haven't started school yet, there are notes. A lotta notes. I could almost bind them and you'd not know the difference between the school notes and War & Peace. That many notes.)

I am so grateful that my little peeps are so awesome and inspiring.

* It pains me that the Doctor is no longer this small. Where the heck did you go time?!

I'm Sorry Nat

But I feel like chocolate. A Cherry Ripe would suffice. Even a hot chocolate. Anything chocolatey.

Someone today told me I was soft, and that it wasn't as if I am going off heroin. Well that's true. I'm not. But man my kidneys ache. I hope tomorrow I wake up feeling infinitely better. Otherwise I may have to hit up the vending machine.

I mentioned to Nat that while I am not much of a caffeine freak, I do love a sweetie. Particularly at 3pm. And 4pm. And 5pm. Oh am I really that bad? Apparently my kidneys are telling me so. I had to lie on the floor at work today. Hello CEO, I'm working from the carpet today. Hmm, what's that? Conference call? Can't make it sorry, I'm hurting too much.

Maybe I should do a before and after shot. I couldn't possibly be more punished by my body tomorrow than I was today.. Can I Nat? NAT?!!

Today Was...

• The first day that the Doctor brought home a reader to share with me. Oh man. Cute Attack City! Though I don't really know if I am doing the right thing. If anyone has any pointers on how I can help my little dude with his reading - please help!


• The first day of my seven day cleanse with Nat from The Pagoda Tree. I started this cleanse hoping to shed some bad habits, to feel better in my body and stop my sugar habit. I have an awful sweet tooth, and since I sit not 7 metres from a vending machine, I'm expecting a new set of fillings soon. Thankfully this cleanse is like an intervention.


• Strange.. When I picked Tiny up from preschool she was still eating her lunch. Sitting by herself at 2:30pm still munching away. She'd had a weird day, both the smalls didn't wake until 8:30am - so we were on the hop from the moment they got up. Poor little wee ones.


• Tonight I asked Tiny to hurry up and eat her apple so she could go to bed. She looked at me and said "It's not an eyeball mum, it's an apple."


• Tiny also shocked me to the core this morning when she walked into my room, exclaimed "I don't care," which was promptly followed by "F*** man," and then smiled at me.
  

Big oops.

How was your day?

really random image via Find Enclosed One Batmans

The Fun Police

Do you know anyone that's in the Fun Police? I had the Fun Police sniffing around these parts just this week. Trying to extinguish any fun and malarky we might have been getting into. But never fear, I'm hear to shake my fist at this humourless authority. I won't listen! I'll paint some posters and placards and stand on Town Hall steps until you hear me Fun Police. Get outta here! If you don't like my blog, then don't read it!

It's not as though the Board of Education have made PottyMouthMama a 3 Unit English text. Is it...? (Or have you? Then hello academics! I look dashing in a graduates gown - and that funny looking hat that I forget the name of).

Fun Police, I'll have to citizen's arrest you. Stop raining on my parade! I can laugh at stupid things if I want to! Life isn't so humourless that I can't laugh at a - gasp - camel's toe! It is funny. Trust me.

What's not so funny is the fact that you seem to have lost your sense of humour. Never fear, I'll get my friends out looking for it for you. Dealio?

PS - Fun Police, I thought you might like this clip I found via Dooce. Maybe you can handcuff me now?

I've Got Nothing People.

So I'll give you this beautiful clip instead. I'm all about the clip right now. Because I've got nothin'. Come back tomorrow because I might have something and that will be better than nothing.

Rediscovery

I loved 'Tikki Tikki Tembo' as a child. I bought a copy for the Doctor this week. It's such a fun book to read together, with such a fun rhythm, and great illustrations.

Do you remember this book from your childhood?

The Weekend

Don't forget the Little Pinwheel pop up sale tomorrow. If you're there, be sure to say hello!

Saturday 19th February

8am - 4pm

Located at the Studio

2 Wattle Street

North Manly

(cnr Harbord Road, above Aluminium Warehouse)

If You Only Open Your Eyes For 21 Minutes Today, Make It To Watch This

Bill Cunningham

Holy gwackas - this looks all sorts of amazing. And then some. Can. Not. Wait.

Bill Cunningham. Zeitgeist. Far out, he's a real force. Amazing.

Seriously. ICANNOTWAITFORTHISONE!

via The Sartorialist

Wacky Wednesday

I feel like I'm in a bit of a funk at the moment.

I can't shake it.

I'm cleansing next week with Nat

I can't wait to shake the bloat and be out of this funk.

image via a bodybuilding search (go on, treat yourself, you know you deserve it). If this image is you, please let me know and I can photoshop your head on.

Life at 5: Resilience

You know those programs that are so beautifully crafted, that when you see they're coming, you're excited.

The Life Series from ABC is one of those series. I've loved checking in intermittently to see what each of the 11 children profiled was up to. These are such different families with such diverse children, the personalities are amazing - I love watching this program. And it's particularly more apt because the kids are the same age as the Doctor.

There is great joy in the diversity. I can't say enough great things about this show - but if you love an inside glimpse into other lives, and studies about children, The Life Series is fascinating right from the get-go.

Tonight it's back at 8:30pm on ABC1.

You can read more about the series here.

image via The Life Series Facebook page

Mothering

Sometimes, emotions, they creep up behind you and BOOM! Slap you in the face, or the back of the head, or they kick your butt, and you're not expecting it, you thought you were past it, but nope. There it is, grabbing your hair and dragging you backwards into the thick of it.

Today my friends, was one of those days.

Today I had my first day off in a long time. I was working five days to try and beat the madness. And today - I flew off the carousel, and it was weird.

I dropped my babes off, one to school, one to preschool, and felt lonely. It's the first time in a long time I've felt this way.


The rush of work has bolstered me through the first week of school. I guess I pushed things aside, my headspace consumed by my work, and much to my own disgust, family life was a very poor second.

If you know me, you known family for me is first and foremost. It's my whole reason for being. So this month of 5 days has been a bit of a struggle. An exciting struggle, but a long, tired struggle.

I felt those pangs of loneliness. Of reality. My firstborn is now at school, for the next ten or so years, whatever he chooses. My littlie is at preschool. And though I'd love another babe, it's not in the forseeable future.

I'm not asking for everyone to host a pity party. On the contrary. This is a slice of my life, and I've not neatly edited out this grief so I look more aspirational. I struggle with the work/life juggle. I feel very much as though I am missing out when I am at work, and when I get home, I am a tired grump, everything good has been sucked from my marrow.

Tomorrow I'm back in the saddle. Missing out, but I've most definitely got my radar on full-tilt. Interested in life.

The Doctor is going well at settling into school. It's hard, but he's doing so well and I am so proud of my little guy. Today he came home and told me he is the 'Book Monitor'. That is SUCH a Lexi thing. We love a book around these parts.

Anyway, I saw this clip from Felicity Moore and thought it suited this post. In fact, it prompted this post. The Doctor was born to the strains of Buble (Tiny was born to Iron & Wine FYI). But on a different level, this clip, it just pulls at my heart strings. Big love to all the mamas out there. x

The Day of Lurve

Do you love Valentine's Day? Or do you shun it? I totally paid it out when I first met my boyfriend-at-the-time Matt. He went out and returned with a framed drawing and said "Happy Valentine's Day". Oops.

I'm still not into fluffy white bears, red roses and balloons.

I'd rather a handmade card, or a drawing, or a book, or something uber thoughtful like being serenaded by my bedroom window (just joking Matt, if I hear you singing out the window I'll throw a bucket of water on you especially if it's in your pseudo Nick Cave voice).

Despite my cynicism, I am happy to be proved wrong. Please! Do prove me wrong. What's your best Valentine's Day?

Bone Achingly Cool

What happens when iconic Finnish textiles company Marimekko collaborates with iconically cool Converse?

Totes rad kicks.

Can't wait to get my feet into these.

Incredibly Lucky

I was lucky enough to meet someone I've long admired yesterday. Sally Seltmann. She probably thought I was a big nerdy fan when I told her how much I loved her.

An incredibly talented and beautiful woman (those amazing eyes, those cheekbones!), she was as I imagined her. A delight.

If you haven't already bought her latest album, Heart That's Pounding, then you really should. It's one of those albums I can play over and over again. BIG LOVE!

(the above clip is an ad Sally made with super-stylist Megan Morton - dreamy!)

It's Gone To Her Head

Tiny's been at it again. She cut some major locks off today. While Matt was on duty*. Ahem. Now she's sporting an assymetrical do. She looks like she's straight outta Newtown.

*Funny how it always happens when he's on duty... YES?

A Very Excellent Sale

Hayley at Little Pinwheel is holding a very excellent sale.

Put this date in your diaries ladies. You definitely don't want to miss out.

I'll be rocking the cash register. Come say hi and high five us?

Big Update

Citizens! I am a mad clown, juggling too many balls, working five days a week at the moment, with two small fry and a big husband. I am a zombie.

And that heat! THAT HEAT! It wiped any remaining energy, that radiant heat zapped it straight from the bones, straight up and outta me. I am pleased for this cool change. I am not a big heat fan. I like summer, but not seven days straight of bone bleaching heat.

In breaking news today, I'm letting you know that my hair's grown considerably. I knew you'd be relieved by that.

Is Blogging Pre-Meditated?

Since PottyMouthPapa has started blogging, we've had some interesting topics.

Such as - is timing pertinent to blogging? Is there a rhyme and reason for blogging? Is blogging pre-meditated?

For me, I blog daily when I can. But I usually don't plan my posts. I don't have a chart where I have to tick something off. I'm certainly not so organised. Blogging for me is usually digesting something that's happened that day (or sometimes the day before, or sometimes what's coming up). I usually sit at my computer tutor with no idea in my head and then bang out some words.

Sometimes my posts are crummy.

Sometimes they are good.

And sometimes, when I am really good, I hit all the high notes and 'publish post' with a spring in my fingertips.

PottyMouthPapa on the other hand is much more organised. He researches his blog posts. He times them. He sequences them. Me, not in a million years. I have drafts sitting back there in the Post tab still waiting to get a go at going live.

If I were to look at getting organised, then perhaps I'd invest a small amount of dosh in this notebook from Notemaker. Because that's the joy of being organised. Great stationery.

Just Who's Responsible?

Some time ago I lamented that I was almost all caught up with Mad Men, after suffering an addiction to the show and watching back to back eps, much to Matt's disgust. I finally emerged one day after filling up on Peggy, Don and Betsy. I was a free woman.

And then a reader suggested I take up a new hobby and watch 'Secret Diary of a Call Girl'. I resisted for so long. Until this weekend, and now I am up to Series 3 and totally hooked on Billie Piper's luscious face.



Seen it?

First Day of School

Today was the first day of school for my firsborn, the Doctor. Highly anticipated. And highly dreaded by me.

We turned up, accidentally a little late, and went to the classroom where the kids were settling in. Once we got his name tag, hung up his backpack, the Doctor looked nervous. Then went over to some other little boys, started building with them and said to me, "Can you go now Mum?"

Ok...

So we kissed him goodbye, my little boy. My little Kindergarten boy, and walked out of the classroom. Me with tears misting over. Tiny riding on Matt's shoulders, oblivious. We walked back to the car, I sat in the seat and sobbed my little heart out.

At the end of the day, I rang my little boy to see how his first day went, and could tell he was bursting with excitement (and told me about "a rude boy who wouldn't share a train but it had 3 spare carriages!"). And when I got home from work, we chatted and chatted about school. Man I love this little guy.

Day two tomorrow.

Meanwhile I can't find the battery charger for our camera, turned the house upside down, still nowhere to be found. But on a flipside, can anyone recommend a handbag size camera that takes ace photos that doesn't cost a Bombfunk MC?

My Lover Loves Art.

The big news, beyond first week of preschool, first week of Kindy, me hurtling towards an event - well we all need to keep busy, and Matt is not one to be excluded.. The other big news?

Matt has started his own blog.

You can check out PottyMouthPapa here.

If you love art then this will be right up your street art-covered alley.

Yes. I Have No Bananas.

Yes. I really do have no bananas. The small fry ate them all. But if you're after oranges, and I mean tangerine, acid brights - then you should really do your super stylin' self a favour and head over to Little Pinwheel. Just sayin'.

Yep. You can thank me later.

image via Little Pinwheel.

Writing While Sitting In The Freezer

This is a big week peeps!

Tiny had her first full day of preschool yesterday! Of course she loved it. And she loved seeing me when I picked her up - my heart felt full when I saw the joy in her little face.

The Doctor had a morning at school today, just for half an hour, and his first day is on Thursday.

As for me, I am busy slaying dragons, ridiculously busy at work, not sleeping, and sitting under the airconditioner (in one room) and contemplating relocating to Woolworths frozen section for the week.

You?

PS - I was super lucky, one of my ace friends took me to see Cat Power at the Opera House on Sunday. AMAZING! Man that woman is beautiful - in every sense of the word.