Some Mothers do “ave” em

Well Groover’s today I would like to talk about Mums, Working Mums...

Two of my friends, one a new Mum and the other a 2nd time Mum returned back to work this week and it had me thinking.... Scary hey! LOL

I remember the first time I had to return back to work. It was only a Temp thing for three months and my Mum, Nana & Grandad looked after Jake. So it wasn’t too bad…. Now I have shared this story before, but for those of you who haven’t read it, I shall quickly recap.

One time Jake was sick with a cold and very congested. I had to go to work and so I dropped Jake off along with some medicine for congestion to Mum, Nana and Grandad. Now this medicine was an iridescent blue colour, just so you have a mental picture! And during the day I rang them to check on Jake and my Grandad told me that they had given him the medicine, which was great. Buttttttttttt he then told me they put the drops into his NOSE!!!

The blue drops were not nose drops.

It was something to give him via his mouth...

And then Grandad said “Well he can breathe now” and I said “I’m sure he can, it probably burnt everything in his nostrils!!!” hehehe.

And you will notice by that pic above it now states this. Back then after that phone call I rushed out to the chemist and sure enough there was nothing on the packet about giving it orally.

He survived. JUST!

The next time I returned back to work I was a single mum and was working a couple of days a week. This time Jake went to a Daycare Centre. I felt sooooo guilty. Silly isn’t it what us Mothers put ourselves through. But I had to go to work and we had no choice, we needed the money. End of Story!

But of course Baby Jake had a weapon up his sleeve... EVERY TIME I would drop him off to the centre, just as I would go to leave he would throw up everywhere! They would say “it’s ok, you just go, he will be fine” but of course I felt dreadful.

So after a few of these times I stopped giving him ammunition, which meant I wouldn’t give him breakfast! I would pack it for the Daycare ladies to give to him – AFTER I LEFT!

And here is a very cute shot of Baby Jake at Daycare! Like butter wouldn't melt in his mouth...

And there were those times when you'd rush and kill yourself trying to get to the Daycare Centre so he wasn’t the last one and you didn’t look like a bad mother ☹

Here is another pic at Daycare

Or the time when you did get there late and he was the very last kid....

Jake to this day still remembers the day I collected him in a Police Car! I kid you not…. You see I finished work, caught the train home, went to get in my car anddddddddd couldn’t find it! You think to yourself DID I PARK IT HERE, or there or thereeeeeeeeee. Thennnnnnnn it hits you IT’S BEEN STOLEN! So the Police were nice enough to help me and off we went to pick up Jake ☺

As Jake got older and went to Primary School there was the “Car Park Mafia” as I liked to call them, to deal with. You know the Mum’s that think they are ALL THAT and are very clicky!

Here is a pic of Jake on the very first day of Grade 1 at Primary School. He is pointing to where the school was.

Of course five minutes later as we were walking down the street (it was a small hill) Jake fell over in some MUD! Isn't motherhood grand hehehe.

Here is the thing about me. I am very friendly (not in that way…. OR AM I? hehehe) if you are friendly to me, BUT if you can’t be bothered to be nice and polite to me, well then I am done and will be polite but will not go out of my way for you etc. And back then in Jake’s year there were no other single parents.

Jake at around 8 or 9.

And just so you know: he has now grown into those teeth! :)

The thing with being a working Mum is that everyone expects you to go back to work. It’s the one question they like to ask “so when are you going back to work?” But they don’t get it, sure you go back to work, but then you come home andddddddddddd do all the other work. It’s like holding down two jobs!

I am sure some of you out there agree with me! ☺

And whilst I am on my soapbox! Here are some more Morley Mother thoughts:

• Some kids expect you to be at their beck and call to drive them everywhere. Guess What? You aren’t their Chauffer – you have a life too, don’t forget that!

• Kids are very keen to attend 254 different sports IN ONE WEEK. Sureeeeeee in a perfect world. But 1. It’s very expensive 2. You have a life to and 3. They still have to do their homework and be awake all day the next day at school.

Now please don’t get me wrong. It’s great that kids are very active, I’m all for it. But they just expect that that is what A MOTHER IS FOR.

I think children need to grow up to accept that their Parents are people and that they are entitled to a life too. And yes whilst it is sad to put them into care, they also get to play with kids their own age. Their development flourishes as they copy their friends (not always in a good way...) but hey if it gets them to sit on the toilet it’s a good thing! And I'm all for it. LOL

They also grow up seeing a Mother who works, who has interests outside the home and who has friends.

One thing I hate and this has happened when I am out with friends. Their kids will ring them on their mobile – 100 times. And unless it’s an emergency, guess what? Mum is out with her friends, it can wait, and you do not need her attention!

Now I guess I do seem a bit harsh, but they are my thoughts. And now with a son at 21 years of age, and I am well aware that one day you infact get your life back. When this happens, AND IT DOES you don’t want to wake up and say to yourself: where have all my friends gone? Where is my life?

Just a little bit of Mother Morley advice. You can take it or leave it, I honestly don’t mind. But I do care about you Groover Mum’s, that’s all ☺

Anddddddddddddd remember I did stay home really until Jake was 8, so I do believe in Mum’s staying home too. I honestly believe that Jake and I get along now like we do, due to me staying home etc. But hey, sometimes we need food to eat and money to get that, hence why we go back to work!

So to all of those Mum’s out there, the working ones, the ones that stay at home (who work too may I just add) I take my hat off to you all. I know at times you think to yourself OMG is this it? But kids very soon, one sad day they won’t need you or rely on you as much as they do now. And believe it or not you will miss that! Andddddddddd then the next chapter begins. And kids you know what? It’s a little sad at times, but geez it’s also a lot of fun!!!

Of course the next stop on the Motherhood Train is becoming a GRANDPARENT! And whilst I think that Grandparents are very very important, I always say to Jake: Jake, 30 is a good age to start settling down. So hopefully fingers crossed my Nana days are a few years away...

Until then I’m gonna live BIG!!!!!!!!!!

And just a two other quick random Morley things.

I traded in this puppy with the freaky eyes:

For this little lamb today. I think I'm gonna keep her and name her Ba Ba Em :)

Isn't she sweet :)

Anddddddddd a very big THANK YOU to my mate Hedley at work for fixing my little coffee table that I use for my laptop when I am sitting on the lounge! Doesn't it look very grand!

Thanks Hedley xxx

And here is a pic of some chips that Jake bought today:

Notice it actually reads "Aussie Fries, because we aren't French". LOL It made me laugh!

Ok I'm outta here......... Night!

Love
Me xxx

Remember the days of the old school yard....

We used to laugh a lot.....

So the other day someone left a comment on my blog asking to hear some Morley School Days stories. So tonight I thought we should start at the very beginning because lets face it Groover's it's a very good place to start :)

So I would like to take you back to little Karen Cheryl when she was in Kindergarten!

One story that I can remember being told over the years was when I had to get up on stage and recite a poem entitled Busy Bee. And if you will allow me, let me share it with you!

Busy Bee, Busy Bee, oh won't you come and talk to me
On this very sunny day oh can't you find some time to play
Do the Flowers talk to you and do you say good morning too
So many things I'd like to know, please talk to me before you go!

So there I was, on stage, sharing my poem and right at the end I just STOOD THERE! Yep, so the story goes I stood there waiting for THE APPLAUSE!!

My first three years of primary school were spent at Zillmere Primary School and I can remember being sooooo excited one day because my Mum was going into town and buying me a "Hula hoop". One of the kids had been sent out of the classroom for being naughty and told me later that he saw my Mum walking home from the railway station with my new Hula hoop! I couldn't wait to get home.

I can also remember two Fancy Dress Balls at school. Mum was amazing at making costumes. The first costume I went as a box of chocolates where I stood inside a big box and we covered all little boxes in different wrapping paper, like the ones that you unwrap etc. And I won first prize!

The next time, well the good news is that I won! I went as a Doll in a Box.

I wore a cute tutu with ballet slippers and again was in a box with the front cut out. The bad news was that Mum wasn't able to find any clear cellophane so guess what she used? It was the stuff that you cooked chooks (chickens) in.

It looked the same as clear cellophane buttttttt my god it was hot in THAT BOX! It was like I was being cooked alive LOL. But hey I won and that's all that matters. Isn't it........... P.S. I don't ever cook chickens in those bags now, just so you know!

I also remember having our first cat called "Fluffy". I was only about 3 and back then we lived in Nambour. Now I do not remember this, but again have been told many times over the years that one time I cut all of Fluffy's whiskers off and thennnn put her in the letter box with a brick on top! Can you imagine! I am such an animal lover that I could even think to do something sooo mean. Poor Fluffy :(

When we moved to Zillmere, the day after we let her out of the laundry she ran away.... I wonder why!!!

Now I changed schools at the start of Grade 4, as my parents divorced and we moved in with my Grandparents. Up until then I had never EVER heard a swear word. But I learnt quite a few that first week of school.

I also remember this was when I discovered ABBA.

The girls at school would always be practicing their songs for assembly and we had to watch their performance EVERY MORNING in class. This was how I learnt the words to ABBA songs....

Way before Michael Buble there was The Bay City Rollers and Leif Garrett!

I remember my Dad travelled around the world and when he was in Scotland he joined me up with the official Bay City Rollers fan club in Edinburgh. I thought I was sooo special!

I was never really into sports but did enjoy playing netball.

And I also remember doing ballroom dancing where the boys had to pick the girls and you would sit there hoping that this sad boy, let us call him John W. would NOT end up picking you and you were freaking out that he would!!!

And I had the best time playing with the kids across the road, making cubby houses and playing games under their house :)

It's funny isn't it when you find yourself in Grade 7 a big fish in a small pond and next you know you are off to High School and find yourself a teeny eeny fish again!!

But that Groover's is another story for tomorrow night!

See you then

Me xxx