Where: Place the code in between the Writer, Mother and Reviewer: March 2011

Sunday 27 March 2011

Morally Wrong

I read an article today and it has really got under my skin.  I have been unable to get it out of my mind since I read it and feel that I have to make my feelings known.

The article referred to a mother injecting her eight year old daughter with botox and waxing her body to prevent her hair from growing in puberty.

How can any mother think about doing such a thing.  I have a five year old and she is perfect just the way she is..... Why would I inject her or inflict pain of any form on her.   I would feel bad enough if she had an illness where I had to inject her, to make her well.  But to do it just for beautification, Is absolutely beyond me.

Does she not realise that she is causing irreparable damage.  That her daughter will have to live with the mental, not to mention physical scars for the rest of her life.  Never mind that she could actually kill her.  The botox is being purchased off the Internet and could be rat poison for all she knows.

This surely can be described as nothing other then child abuse.  If I was to beat my daughter, I would be hauled in front of Social Services and rightly so. If I injected her with Class A drugs I would be banged up in prison.  But I could inject her with botox and nothing would be done.  It really does beggar belief.

Children grow up far to fast in as it is.  I can remember playing with Dolls at the age of eleven, An eleven .year old probably wouldn't been seen dead doing such a thing.  It's all about social networking, celebrities and looking good. 

Children should be allowed to be Children. Not mini Adults.

Forms! Forms! Forms!

Why is it that everything we seem to do requires a form to fill in.  What ever happens to these constant paper trails that we leave?  Do they just fall into a very large black hole, I wonder!.  I have spent two hours of my day, Yes! two very long and boring hours filling in forms, Forms for the Census, Forms to send to my Bank, Forms to send to my Solicitor, and even another form for my daughters School.

I took a pair a shoes back to a shop the other day and they requested I fill out a form, Why!!!  They weren't giving me my money back, the goods weren't faulty, all I wanted was to change the size.  Same Shoes, Same Colour, Different Size.  So why do I need to provide my name, address and date of birth.  It really is beyond me!

In this age where we are allegedly environmentally friendly and trying to reduce the amount of paper we use, why the need for all this useless paperwork,  The paper I have used this past day would have saved a whole forest, never mind a tree. 

We fill in the same information time after time after time, name, address, date of birth.  Next they will be wanting to know what we had for tea, what we watched on TV and when we went to bed.  It is ridiculous.

Thursday 24 March 2011

Exhausting Day

I am officially shattered.  It's been an absolutely glorious spring day today.  I thought I'd make the most of it and do some serious tidying up of the garden.  This led to me deciding that, actually I don't like much about  my garden.  One thing led to another and before I knew it I had I dug up the majority of my plants and shrubs.  I have big plans to start again.

So I'm left with some very bare flower beds and a serious big pile of rubbish, that I somehow have to get rid of.  Every part of my body feels sore, my hands are covered in scratches and blisters, but hopefully it should be worth it.

It was also a very good workout (which hopefully should help with the weight loss) and yeah it's not going well.  I have rigorously stuck to the diet, no chocolate, no biscuits or anything nice of any description has passed my lips.  I have lived on rabbit food and I lost the grand total of 1 lb.  I couldn't believe it.  In fact I'm beginning to think my scales are actually broken.  You never know they could be!!

But I will not give up.  I will soldier on.  I am determined that I will lose that stone before the summer.  I will fit back into my clothes from last year, I certainly can't afford to buy yet another new wardrobe, It's a good job that little essential called the Maxi dress is still in fashion as they cover up all evils Ha Ha.

Tuesday 15 March 2011

Officially Tired

Its been a few days, since I have had the time to write anything, so here goes.  I decided on Sunday that I needed to go on a diet,  To be fair since Christmas I have had a bit of a thing for the lovely stuff they call chocolate, and yep it's finally caught up with me.  When  I got on the scales to weigh myself ,I at first thought they had broken, but when I moved them to another room and tried again the result was worse,  So I stuck with the first reading.

I figured that I need to lose a stone, and I need to do it now,before the nice weather arrives.  It is time for some desperate action.  First things first, I dug out my old diet and fitness books and so far... I have eaten all healthy foods, with no slips (yet).  I've prepared my menu for the week so I know exactly what to have for tea, therefore I have no excuses. (Well that is the plan.)

Have also been using my daughters Wii.  Set up the first workout and on Sunday attempted 15 minutes.  That was easy I laughed, and had another go.  A hour and a half later finally decided that enough was enough.  Soon realised I should have stuck with the 15 minutes.  Woke up Monday morning and could barely move.  Did I give in? Not a chance, come Monday night I did another hour and again this morning another 45 minutes.  So hopefully when I weigh myself on Sunday I should see a result.  Will keep you updated.

Saturday 12 March 2011

First Dancing Lesson
I had a proud mummy moment yesterday.  I took my daughter to her first ever dancing lesson.  She had been looking forward to it all week and had been practising hard her whirling, twirling and leaping prior to the big event.
We inevitably were early to the lesson (in fact, first there). The grin on her fact reached from ear to ear and she nervously awaited the reminder of the class to arrive.  As the girls and one solitary boy started to fill up the hall, the noise of excited chatter and giggles reached ear splitting levels, each voice speaking louder to be heard over the incessant rabble.  Eventually changed and ready to go a voice boomed out.
“Right Girls, Lets line up, big ones at the back, are we all ready?”
The girls emerged from various corners of the room, and attempted to make two neat rows.  They failed miserably.  One line had 5 girls, the remainder in the other, all huddled together with hardly room to breathe between them, never mind dance. 
Chantelle, move that way a bit, Sophie move forward, Sweetheart you stay where you are.” Eventually they were lined up and good to go.
“Ready, Girls? Here we go!”  Boom, the sound of ‘Sexy Chicks by David Guetta, feat Akon’ filled the room.
Every face wears a huge smile. They each attempt to copy the teacher, while glancing to the person next to time, to see what they are doing. I could see my daughter with her tongue stuck out as she desperately concentrated on the steps.  Nervously playing with her hair when she lost the sequence, then with determination she’d try again.  Arms and legs flailed in all directions, each girl adding their own interpretation into the mix.
“Ok Girls, Skipping, Nice big circle, moving that way” pointing to her right.
Chaos inevitably ensued, bodies crashing into each other, toes being stepped on, as disorientated, each girl lost track of where she was going.  Just as they all corrected themselves and were all skipping (or running in most cases) in the same direction.
“And Stop!”  The warm up was finished.

“Get yourselves a drink, Girls”
Whilst they all eagerly scrambled for bottles of water and juice, an ear splitting scream filled the air. Someone had fallen over and scraped their knee.  Of course this led to a major drama as a gaggle of girls flew towards the scene to establish what was happening. Shouts of
“Ohhh are you ok, shall I help her sit down miss, Come with me I’ll look after you” filled the air.

Eventually scraped knees sorted.  They attempted to learn a new dance routine.  Each child was placed in the correct position and the music re-started.  I could see the intent concentration on each face as they scrutinised the teacher, watching her every move.  Then it was their turn to try.  The steps performed looked nothing like they should. None of the steps were in time with each other, or the music, but it didn’t matter because they put in 100% effort and were having great fun.

Eventually attention spans started to dwindle and it was ‘Can I go to the toilet please’ and with that every girl suddenly had the urge to go to the toilet.  All too soon the class was over and it was time to leave.
“Did you enjoy that?” I asked
“It was wonderful mummy” came the reply, “but can I have one of them purple things, with the swishy skirt to wear next week.”
“So, you’re coming again then?”
“I can’t wait”

Wednesday 9 March 2011

How annoying are banks?

I am so annoyed today.  It has taken a month to attempt to open a current account and savings account with a bank, that I will not name for obvious, but all I can say is that they are bleeping useless.  I mean come on, how complicated can it be.  Well it seems very!.

After numerous visits to the branch, phone calls to call centres that pass you to pillar to post, I have finally had enough.  So I entered a formal complaint.  What was the response?  Well Mrs Anderson if you would like to pop into the branch......  Oh No I point blank refuse to make yet another trip and sign another useless form.  Forget it!

Needless to say I am now entering into the process of attempting to transfer my account to another back, this time hopefully one that has a little more knowledge of customers needs.  I wouldn't class myself as a stroppy customer, I am usually quite laid back with regards to call centre, but this one has really wound me up.

Monday 7 March 2011

Monday Monday!

It's been a tough day today, I was back at work after a short period of absence, so as well as the school runs and the shopping etc etc etc that needed doing I had to also be super organised to achieve it all in the short time span before work loomed.

 I walked in the office feeling really positive, and ready to tackle the numerous challeneges and within 10 minutes the life was being drained from me. Firstly there was someone else sitting at my desk.  I mean come on, I wasn't away for that long.  So where were all my belongings?  Well they had been lovingly dumped at the other side of the office.  I thanked god that I was sat near people that I like and get on with, so at least on that score I breathed a sigh of relief.

So eventually got the old PC whizzing back to life and desk set up just as I like it.  Click, Click opened my e-mails.  A bombardment of information came whoosing off the screen.  Flashes of red, "overdue..." invaded my vision.  I was expecting a siren to start going off , due to the sheer volume of words, my brain felt over loaded.  Oh my god i needed some more time off I thought. But I set to work and it was pretty clear that 90% of what had been sent to me, was heading straight to the recycle bin. The 10% left were put to one side to be dealt with another day.

So thankfully the day passed pretty quickly.  Before to long it was time to get home to another round of cooking the tea, sorting baths and reading stories (I love it all really) now finally they are both tucked up and fast asleep, looking like two little angels. Time for some well deserved me time.

Sunday 6 March 2011

Hull of a day
Whilst sitting on the bus watching the world go by I couldn’t help but overhear the conversation taking place behind me.  The two young women were complaining that there was nothing to do. I wanted to jump up and shout do you not realise how lucky you are to live here. There is so much to do right on your doorstep.  I love living in Hull and couldn’t contemplate living anywhere else.

Hull has been plagued by bad press but I would like to set the record straight.  Millions has been spent on the city in the last few years, regenerating run down areas and creating a city I am proud of.    Hull has developed rapidly.  We can hold our head up high with the best of the rest.  As you enter the city, there is one sight that tells me I am home and that is the Humber Bridge, it never fails to take my breath away at the sheer size and beauty of this landmark.

I truly believe that I have everything I could wish for right here on my doorstep.  I live on the edge of a large council estate, yet just a 2 minute walk takes me to a local nature reserve that has brought our community together.   A perfect way to exercise is to dig out my rusty old bike and set off down the disused railway track now known as the Trans Pennine Trail.  Why pay for an over-priced gym membership when in just five minutes I can be pedalling through beautiful open countryside, passing sleepy villages. If I keep it up I can be at the local seaside town of Hornsea in no time for some well earned fish and chips.


If the weather is bad I can hop on a bus and within twenty minutes I am in the town centre. Here I can shop till I drop, which I must admit I often do. Then with aching feet, I meet up with friends in a trendy coffee shop, where we order full fat Muffins and milky lattes.  One of my favourite ways to spend the afternoon is to wander around the historic old town marvelling at the ancient architecture and popping into any one of the free museums. 

There are no shortage of ways that I can spend my evenings.  With 2 theatres, numerous cinemas, restaurants, bars and nightclubs I am literally spoilt for choice, however I nearly always opt to head for the Cosmopolitan Quarter, with its mix of quirky cafe bars and restaurants.  It’s a great place that attracts people of all ages and backgrounds.  It’s the perfect way to relax.

 














Lazy Sundays

What an absolutely beautiful day it was today.  Spring is defintely on it's way and being out at the park with my two children just made me thankful to be alive. 

We arrived at the park early and there was still a mist on the boating lake, it made the park feel slightly eerie and mystical.  There was a handful of other people out for a morning stroll or jog and a couple of dog walkers, However within an hour of us arriving the whole place seemed to come alive, it was like someone flicked a switch.  The playground was soon full of children playing and having fun in the sunshine and the drone of the voices and the occasional scream of a child soon filled the air.

The kids had a great time.  It's great to just feel relaxed enough to be able to let them run around free without constantly having to shout, watch the road, slow down.etc etc.  To just let them be children is as it should be.  We were all soon worn out so it was time to head home for a spot of lunch and then a nice leisurely afternoon.

Saturday 5 March 2011

Girlie Nights!!

Had a rare night off from the Kids last night, went to a Take That Tribute night. It's no secret that I have always been a major Take That Fan, So I was really looking forward to it. 

I now remember why I don't attempt to go out that often.. It was a major challenge just getting ready.  Took a total of two and half hours.  Was it the variety of beauty products and amount of time I spent relaxing prior to the big event.  No! It was the constantly having to break up the fights that ensued every time I turned my back.

Firstly came the shower challenge as soon as that water starts to pour out, my 2 year old is in the bathroom like a shot, tearing off his clothes as he goes.  So there we both are in the shower and there's a shark eating my toes as I attempt to shave my legs and an octopus suckered to my knee cap as a wash my hair.  That's the easy bit, the hard bit is getting the slippery little eel out the shower once we're done, The screams of protests can be heard all the way down the street.

Then there is the Make-up bag challenge, with a towel balance precariously on my head I sat and dug around for the various body lotions and potions.  This time I have been joined by my five year old, what's that? she'd asked sticking her finger in and then smothering all over her arms, stop touching I shout, leave it alone, that's not for you.  don't your dare squirt that bottle at me.  By the time we have finished the kids look like a pair of freaky clowns, and in all fairness I probably don't look much better

So just time for a last outfit change, Slip on the highest pair of heels and grabbing the matching handbag it's a quick snotty kiss from the kids and as I shout be good and close the door, I am finally free to be me and not mummy.

The night was a really good night. A nice meal followed by lots of vodka, all of which will lead to a bad head but hey, needs must sometimes.  The entertainment was cheesy to say the least, but a good laugh.  Nice bums wriggling around the stage, A girl can't complain.  Just time for good old dance before all to soon the night was over.  All in all a good night.

First Things First

Hi

It's weird but a feel slightly nervous about doing this.  But Here goes.

I'm a wanna be writer.  Am I living in cloud Cuckoo land? Most probably.  Am I any good? I have no idea.  If i don't take the plunge and have a go who knows what I would be missing out on.

In the last year It's feels as though my life had been turned upside down, shaken around abit and then  I have been dumped and left to blindly find my way back. While dizzingly trying to put the pieces back together. I have resolved that I am now a new me, with a new outlook and objective and hopefully you will be able to follow my journey on this site.