Rosie Scribble

Kids. Don't you just love 'em?

There is nothing like a seven year old to boost your confidence and let you know you are special.

Some days that is.

On other days young-ish children are very good at saying it as it is and saying exactly what they see.

Like this morning as we are about to walk out of the front door.

IJ: Mum, I can see a white hair on your head.

*alarm!*

Me: Can you? Oh. I’ll have to die it then.

IJ: You’ll have to do on a diet? Will Diet Coke make it brown again?

Me: No dye it, with hair dye.

IJ: I don’t want you to die.

*sigh*

Me: I’m just going to get rid of the white hair, that’s all.

IJ: Oh good. Because I think I saw more than one.

Kids. Don’t you just love ‘em?

Blog takeover bids

There are some things that make me chuckle to myself in a slightly innate way, while at the same time leaving me feeling quite annoyed.

Let me explain.

It would seem that since asking on Monday 'Do I really want to write a blog?', there are plenty of people who are happy to write it for me, for nothing!

A number of commercial companies hiding behind friendly 'content placement specialists' have come forward with kind and generous offers of 'free content' for my blog. So many offers, in fact,  that I could keep it running for the next year without ever having to lift a finger.

Except the content would change, quite dramatically, in fact.

If you clicked over here you'd be reading all sorts of 'family friendly' (I'm assured) articles of interest to my readers in which the topic of online dating would be heavily featured (because obviously that's what you are clicking over to read!). I am also promised a well-written article covering dating tips for men and how to deal with the issue of condom-wearing once semi-regular sex has begun in a new relationship.

Yes, you read that right, and it is all completely free despite the fact that each article would include at least one link , possibly two, to a variety of commercial websites. So free then, is it? Or it is simply an advertisement for the company you are working for disguised as free content for my blog, Mr Content Placement Specialist?

I think we all know the answer to that.

There would also be a number of features about American healthcare, because err... it would seem that that would fit well on my blog too.

Furthermore, these 'free' articles would all be heavily promoted on social media sites, would boost my SEO efforts, improve my Google ranking and make my site more popular.

So thanks, but no thanks. This is my blog. I'm very fond of my blog. I'm even more fond of my readers, so I'll be writing my own content thank you very much.

So, do I really want to write a blog?

Hell yes! Let normal service resume.

No place for Jedward

The news came through last night that Jedward were forced to cut short a performance at a nightclub in Barnsley after being pelleted with bottles. Minders physically removed the pair from the stage for their own protection.

The twins are quoted as saying  that they were disappointed, especially as they had not be able to sing Ghostbusters.

 

Now there is a rumour in our local town that Jedward are coming here to perform at a venue called Qi. But here's the thing - this is an ex-mining town in Nottinghamshire where many people were already out of work even before the recession hit. So times are hard and people here say it as it is.

It's not a bad place to live but it is definitely a bad place for the twins to perform. There will be little affection here for two slightly cocky boys who spend longer on their hair than the entire male population here put together.

Here, male grooming is not considered cool.

Now that Louis Walsh has signed a deal with the two former X-Factor contestants, he needs to have a radical rethink and consider how best to build his Jedward brand. Attempting to build it here is ill-advised.

This is no place for hair-sprayed boys singing Britney.

Sorry lads.

Disney/Pixar's 'Up' left us feeling down

On a dull, grey day we headed off to the cinema to watch a film that turned out to be equally grey. Disney/Pixar's new film 'Up' is billed as a comedy adventure but we found little amusing about it and the story line was rather heavy and baffling for a six-year-old. 

Having not read anything about the film in advance (my mistake) I was expecting a feel-good holiday film for half-term and brilliant animation.

The animation didn't let us down, it was outstanding, just as you would expect, and the 3D-effects added to that.

However, we weren't expecting violent dogs, rifles, dart guns, a sword fight and the fact that *SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT* the villain falls to his death in the end.

My mistake again, I should have read the parents guide for the film and taken into account that it has a PG rating. It was simply too old for a six-year-old who, at times, was clinging my arm and trying not to look at the screen.

The basic plot, taken directly from the IMDb website is as follows: By tying thousands of balloon to his home, 78-year-old Carl Fredricksen sets out to fulfill his lifelong dream to see the wilds of South America. Right after lifting off, however, he learns he isn't alone on his journey, since Russell, a wilderness explorer 70 years his junior, has inadvertently become a stowaway on the trip.

The film was basically the story of a 78-year-old man who never experienced what he wanted most and, after losing his wife, set off on an adventure rather than going into a retirement home.

I found it moving in parts and rather dark and depressing in others. It is without doubt a film for older children, most of it went over the head of a six-year-old. Not the best film for a grey day, but outstanding animation nevertheless and the 3D glasses meant I could close my eyes and have a quick nap without anyone noticing.

When motherhood isn't a bed of roses

Today, I decided to spend the afternoon working in our local library, away from the distraction of the Internet, the kettle and the fridge.

Fast forward half an hour and I'm sitting in a coffee shop with a cappuccino in one hand and a copy of Red magazine in the other, and there I stayed for the whole afternoon.

Bliss.

After reading a surprisingly informative piece on pelvic floor exercises, I came across another which was equally engaging - 'Do kids equal happiness' . Here the writer admits, rather bravely, that she was actually happier before she had kids.

Before you gasp in alarm, the article was not saying that having kids had made the writer's life far worse, it was saying that having kids does not necessarily make you happier and highlighted that, at times, life as a parent is not a bed of roses.

And there were a number of points I could relate to.

Let me firstly explain, in case I come across really really badly and you decide you hate me, that my life is, without question, a zillion times better now that I'm a parent. I wasn't happy before, I was quite miserable in fact. I'm definitely happy now, so IJ's arrival has transformed my life for the better and I could not manage without her.

But it hasn't been easy. The first couple of years were particularly tough, but few people I know would admit to finding life as a new parent difficult. And at the time, I certainly kept quiet.

So here's the bit where I'm completely honest.

Naturally, I enjoyed spending time with IJ, but I found the days on my own with her very long and I craved adult company, some days there was none at all. I was happy to play with bricks and soft toys but doing that all day every day became monotonous and at times it felt never-ending. The odd children's programme was okay but most of it I found mind-numbing after a while. I craved the BBC news so that, in some small way, I could feel more connected with the outside world. With no car and little money, I often felt trapped in out four walls and craved to get out.

It didn't last forever of course although some days it felt like it would. As IJ got older and was able to communicate better things started to get easier, and when she started nursery we gained a much needed structure to our day and the chance to meet other people on a more regular basis.

And now things are really good, we're a great team. Life is more balanced and we enjoy the time we spend together.

I am sure I'm not the only mother who was sitting at home feeling lonely and isolated with a very young child. But, as the article says, motherhood is the only job you're not allowed to complain about or dislike. I'd say, complain if you need to, parenting can be tough, and so many people are keeping quiet and struggling on their own, and I don't just mean single parents.

It can be tough for everyone, but thankfully not all the time.