Censoring Music

More and more I'm finding that I am needing to censor music from my children's young ears.

It's not like I'm listening to NWA or any heavy-handed lyrics. I'm talking everyday music that I once took for granted. Lily Allen. Gotye. Black Eyed Peas. I could go on, but I can't think of anyone else right now.

Apparently everyone's dropping the f-bomb in their lyrical miracles, and it's become au fait.

You're talking to PottyMouthMama here. I tried to delete swearing from my vocab the moment I birthed my first babe.

I'm not just playing Justine Clarke CDs over and over again, but help a girl out - what's your tactic when artists are getting their swear on? I'm not some little prude sitting in the corner. Surely I am not alone.

I want my kids to remain kids for as long as possible. To preserve that innocence for as many years as possible.

I remember vividly playing records on my Uncle Silas' record player, discovering the Beatles, Tiny Tim and many others as I worked my way through my parent's collection.

I remember puzzling over lyrics and wondering what they meant - and imagining my own innocent meaning - but I don't remember them cussing on the mike. Ever.

Now piles of CDs are relegated to times when I am alone, in the car, or if the smalls have gone out. Clearly, my music collection is somewhat refined when in their company - but their innocence is worth more to me than listening to a song. Can you dig?

It's Sunday Love:: Tiny Loves Cussing

We got up early today. Well the Doctor always gets up super early. But Matt and the Doctor went bike-riding early. And about 5 minutes after they left, Tiny wanted to go meet them. So after my request of "five more minutes" in the toasty warm bed with seventy-eleven layers, we clambered out of bed. Half-dressed and hot footed it to surprise the boys.

It was wet and cold in the park. We found our boys and decided to go have a hot chocolate before coming back to enjoy the park. Maybe when the wet had dissipated. Ahem.

Tiny and I were perched at the cafe, drinking our hot chocolate and flat white respectively, when I spotted the boys. I said: "Tiny, I see the boys spying on us." To which Tiny so eloquently replied with an F-bomb.

Wow.

It's not the first time.

I've promptly gone into swearing rehab. I've gone cold-turkey on swearing, given my 3.5 year old swears so appropriately. And sometimes not so.

One morning before school, the Doctor and she had been having some biffo. She walked into me while I was getting dressed and said: "F*** man."

My swear word of choice now? Supercalifragilisticexpialadocious. Or however it's spelt. Trying saying that when you're furious.

Tiny, I'm sorry you have a PottyMouth. And it's my fault.

But how about those magnolias. That blue sky. AYE CARUMBA! (How was that for changing the subject?)

Crazy In The Coconut

We had one of those weekends with lots of zipping about the city.

Saturday zipping about deepest, darkest suburbia doing odd-jobs.

A hen's do on Saturday night.

Sunday we headed off to a wedding for one of Matt's good friends. I didn't actually take any photos at the wedding. In fact, the camera didn't even make it out of the car. But I captured some of the scenery as we zipped and zoomed. My testament to spending a proportion of my weekend in the car. A sad reality of life in the 'burbs - but at least the scenery is pretty!

All in all, a really fun/ny weekend with friends in lurve.

Now I'm into the grind of the week, things to do, heat to dodge, babies to woo, pre-schoolers to play with, dinner to cook (am I the only one that is so sick of dinner I want to delete it??).

What's in your dinner repertoire that's easy to make and keeps the punters happy?

Oh Schweppes!

I've heard that little people are sponges. We all have heard this. They learn so quickly. I know this in my own life. Noah, nearly three, is constantly absorbing so much, learning, growing. Wow. So I really shouldn't be surprised when I hear him parrot my expletives.. Oh dear.

Before I launch into my little stories, I must point out that the name of my blog 'Potty Mouth Mama' was borne from thinking of my life as toilet training Noah, rather than me having a huge desire to swear. I pretty well deleted swearing from my vocab before Noah's birth in the interests of... being a good mama. Unfortunately it's crept back in, but I'm no potty mouth mama really!

However, last week when I was grumping about the house, I walked past Noah and his Daddy having book time on the couch - and heard a small voice say: 'Bloody Mummy'. Ouch. I was shocked, but thought perhaps I had misheard him, so I asked him what he'd said. 'Bloody Mummy' in a bolder voice. Make a mental note to watch what I say little ears are listening.

Then over the weekend Matt and I had a heated moment and I happened to say another unsavoury word. Moments later, it was replicated in a smaller voice. Woops!

I had better watch my mouth otherwise I am going to have to wash it out with soap and have a potty mouth baby. Noah did go through a stage when he was smaller, saying truck came out with a phhhh sound instead. It caused a few stressed moments when in shops and particularly around our neighbourhood with the toffee nosed ladies.. Hey, we all need an education in kiddie swearing. Just jokes - I just have to learn to bite my tongue and use other words to express my anger/grumpiness.

On another note, Noah's almost better - thank goodness! I have been having to put cream on his nose which is absolutely abhors. So in order to do so, I've been having to bribe him (my mother-in-law has told me to call it 'positive reinforcement'). the positive reinforcement takes the shape of a snake here, a choccy there, but just before bed time the other night, I was desperate and he was totally fritzing at me. I brought out a new book - which I thought was far too old for him, and said he could have it, if he let me put the cream on him. He took it, hook. Line. Sinker.

Surprisingly, this book has been a huge hit. Huge, huge, huge hit. It's been constantly requested ever since. Hubert Horatio is a very cute book, and one that I enjoy reading - so I don't mind the repeated readings. It makes me laugh even harder when Noah asks what's happening to 'Bob and Trent' while pointing at Hubert's parents, the Bobton-Trents. I'm in stitches people - stitches!

Lauren Child is such a clever children's author. She first came into my life when I was looking for new books for my nephews.. This would have to be at least five years ago now.. Wow. So it's super fun that Noah is now enjoying these books, and even Charlie and Lola TV.

Her website's pretty super too.

Speaking of children's books (how's that for a segue??) my sister introduced me to this pretty fab website last week and I have to say, it's pretty darn good. I love nothing better than reading about great kids books (well maybe I do love a massage. A pedi is pretty good. A great dinner. A nice big cuddle. Laughing. Ok - there are plenty of things I love better but you get the picture, right?), and this website is fantastic for recommendations on not only new books, but revisiting well-known, well-loved classics too. Definitely worth a virtual visit to add to your bookshelf.

I heart books too.