Oct 31st

I experienced Costco tonight!

*laugh*

Oh, what an adventure!  It started out with much jest and hilarity at the anti-consumerist nutritional therapist venturing into the world of super-sized US capitalism right here in our back yard.  I was assured a bag of spinach would be found for me as soon as possible, for me to cuddle and sniff on my way round the never-ending aisles of three-storey high shelves of consumerist eroticism.

I giggled at the size of the trolleys - but even before that, I marveled at the breadth of the lift that took us from the carpark to the store!  I wish I'd taken a pic.  I felt pint-sized! (Moreso than usual.)  We, a friend with our ticket in (you have to be a member, or come as a guest with a member) and another Costco junkie friend, had a wonderful time!  It was a fantastic shopping experience.  Wide aisles.  Busy, but not crowded and all the shoppers were relaxed and happy (perhaps because they couldn't stop giggling at the vastness of everything, too.  Although it was most likely due to the savings they were making).  And the checkout staff member (Sarah) was so pleasant, I almost embraced her!  So relaxed, so calm, so happy to help.  A pure pleasure.

Yes, they really do stock everything from diamonds to sewing machines, okra to tahini (although not ponies it must be noted).  And yes, everything is absolutely super-sized.  The variety was wonderful, the obscure items plentiful and the amount of local and organic produce was much more than I expected.  I'm a convert, 100%.  Just the opportunity to purchase refrigerated drinking coconuts (husks removed) by the box was enough to have me on a high for the rest of the shop (spinach - who needs spinach?!).  I'll be back for the kayak and the compost tumbler another day. 

As I watched my beautiful friend, a single mama of two buttons living on a shoestring, walking with us, comparing prices per unit to the items in the store she usually shops at (pre-printed on two A4 sheets), I felt incredibly grateful to live in a town where quality products are available at prices that make living on not a lot, a whole lot easier.  I think of my own mama who raised three buttons on not a lot, in a small town with little choice and wonder how excited and grateful she may have felt at the choices laid before us tonight.

This woman is openly humbled by her prejudgement and scorn.  Wonderful, wonderful reminder to make up your own mind based on your own experience - and not on something you assume to be the case *smile*.  And you know what - not one Halloween prop could be seen ANYWHERE!

Which reminds me - Happy Beltaine!

(Image credit)

Boomshanka to all in the business of baby-making.

"May the seed of your loin be fruitful in the belly of your woman"

Blessings to all, from down under.

xxx

June 29th

I came across something today, that completely astonished me.

It's been a while since I ventured into a department store, but I needed socks for Lucy and the time had come to brave the fluoro lights and rampant consumerism that is shoveled into your psyche the moment you step into their world.

We dodged *most* of the plastic brightness that attracts tiny tots like a moth to a flame and lost ourselves in the maze of clothing racks that towered above us both.  And then we found the children's clothes.  This is what greeted us:

Walls of gender defined and delineated racks of pink and purple, blue and white.

Unless you were an infant, and then you were given the choice of pink, white or grey.  

In fact, grey was a colour that crossed both genders and age brackets.  Grey.  Who on earth chooses to dress their child in grey?  Their child, barely earthside from the realm of magic.  Full of joy, excitement, wonder and delight!  Grey????

Maybe I'm missing something.  Maybe I need to get my colour therapy book out and look up the energetic and medicinal benefits of wearing grey.  Maybe.

Grey reminds me of dismal days, when the cloud closes in, blocking the radiance and energy of the sun, and refuses to actually rain.  Of dreary moods and sad souls.  Hardly the colour of children, full of the spectrum of brilliance!

Which brings me to my gratuity of the day.

Choice.

The option to purchase my child's clothes (and my own!) from the myriad of choices available to us.  Which, in our case, is mostly thrift shops, weekend markets and ebay.  Clothes that were en vogue months, if not years before, making them mostly original to wear now.  

 

And when I'm really lucky, I find clothes that include all the colours of the rainbow - yellow, orange, green, blue, purple and red.  Sometimes, even a combination in the one item!

The force-feeding of pink when it comes to our girl children makes me more than a little nauseous.  And I must say, it warms my heart no end to hear my button say to me "I'm done with pink now, Mama.  I'm into green, blue and light orange".

*sigh*

So, lilac slippers and ruby red shoes it is *grin*.

June 8th

I received some ultimately wonderful news today.

I say ultimately, because initially it seems crazy ironic.  Lucy's dad has suggested I become majority carer next year, for when Lucy starts school.  One of the (many) reasons I'm not a fan of Lucy entering the schooling system, is the time pressure.  At the age of five, I don't think it's a healthy thing to get her up to an alarm, coax a suitable amount of protein and carbohydrates into her body, rush to dress, rush to groom, rush out the door - all within a 2 hour time period, then sit in traffic for 20 minutes in order for me to deliver her to the institution I have painstakingly chosen for her, that I believe will damage her least.

One of the other things I dislike about the schooling structure is the systematic setting of homework.  Yep, even at five.  At five, it's reading the book she's chosen from the library.  Never mind the idea that at five, she may not be ready to read.  Never mind that the regular daily practice of sitting down together to read a book that she may not be able to grasp, may set up all sorts of failure mindsets in my already self-flagellating child.  *sigh*

So, yes.  The irony that I will now be the person dancing this school dance that I don't want her to be a part of, is not lost on me.  But I did say 'ultimately'.  Because having Lucy during the week will be wonderful.  I will be a part of her daily life (despite the fact that it will be school focused) and I love that.  

I am trying really hard not to concern myself with the fact that my time with her during the week, when she's not at school and not preparing for school, or debriefing from school, not eating dinner, preparing for bed or sleeping, is not what I would consider a great amount of quality time.  I'm trying hard not to feel ripped off by the two full uninterrupted weekend days of quality time that her father will have with her.  I'm trying reeeeeeally hard.  I'm sure by January, I'll have a handle on it.  Somewhat.

In other news, we seem to have narrowed down our schooling search to two schools.  Which makes the task a little less intimidating.  One of the schools we are looking at shares the International Baccalaureate style of learning.  I'm still learning more about it, but I like what I've read so far.  The aspect that particularly sits well, is the awareness the children receive at a global level.  In IB's words: "... help (students) develop the intellectual, personal, emotional and social skills to live, learn and work in a rapidly globalizing world."  It is essentially, an international education.  Which I gather means, if Lucy decides she wants to study university in Paris (this school has French as their LOTE), her high school qualifications through IB will grant her access, grades dependent, naturally.

Contrastingly, the other school we are considering, is totally community focused.  They have farm animals and vegie garden the children tend.  There is a fully implemented recycling program - from plastic buckets in all the classrooms for food scraps to feed the goat and chickens - to solar panels and water tanks.  The question is, which suits our child best.  How on earth do you know that at five?  My first instinct is the community school.  Vegie gardens and recycling are the closest things I have to a religion.  She is animal mad and would flourish in this school.  As far as future prospects go and a learning style I resonate with, the international school wins hands down.

I am thinking, after cathartically purging just now, that we can do the vegie garden and chook thing at home.  We've done it in the past... if I'm a stay at home mama next year, it's absolutely feasible that I can do it all again....  Hmmmmm...

Sew (sorry!!), we were in the paper yesterday.  Not buried on the back page and the pic of menstrual pads was included - so that's a win in my opinion!  Great exposure for Sheree and LifeOptions.  I hope it stimulates some more donations.

And just some final melting moments from the kitties today :o)

I hope they always sleep like this.  I love how close they are.  The energy is so harmonious in the house.  Such gorgeous wee fluff balls.