In other news, the other day I was watching amateur porn on the internet and it was a clip back from the 80's and it was obviously all in German and the man cried out, "Oh das ist wunderbar!" and I couldn't help but laugh out loud and I ruined the moment and that was the end of sexytime. Luckily, I was the only one in the room so I didn't have to, you know, worry about anyone else's mood. Handy that.
Moving on.
Today I should be writing or doing some such worthwhile thing - yesterday I applied for 3 jobs for next year as a preschool assistant. I wonder if I'll get it. If not, the only thing I've got lined up for 2010 is working in the school canteen. So glad I studied for TEN YEARS at university, it's really paying off.
I'm back watching tv again, or more specifically, cable tv - (what we in Australia call 'foxtel'). I paid for an upgrade so now I get to watch a lot of British home renovations and American talk shows and lots of cooking. And I have to say - how easy is it to start getting addicted to TV?! It makes you want to lie on the couch forever and just channel surf, what a horrible trap to fall into (as opposed to the seven hours per day I waste sitting on facebook).
Something that the kids and I have begun to enjoy again is SuperNanny with Jo Frost. That show is the bomb, all those dysfunctional families and annoying bratty kids? Show 'em the naughty step, Jo!
I think it is good for my children to see just how ordered and ok our household actually is and that things could be a lot, lot worse for them. My occasional fisherman's wife bellowing is nothing compared to what some kids have to listen to. It's highly ironic though that the middle child, the one who is generally the one who throws the tantrums and the screaming fits, is absolutely enthralled with the disciplinary tactics that SuperNanny gives out. Ironic, no?
I asked him would he like me to have a naughty corner and would he like me to give him a time out but he said 'bugger that for a joke, Mum'. He just likes to watch other kids have to suffer with it.
My Dad actually tried to give me a bit of a talk yesterday about the way I am overprotective of the middle kid. He says I am so quick to step in and make everything ok for L, that I am setting him up to find life very difficult as a young adult. My Dad said, "kids need to learn that life isn't fair and he is going to miss out on things and you can't step in and protect him or fix things for him because how will he learn to grow up into a man?"
I got all quiet and defensive because nobody likes to hear that they aren't doing the right thing with their kids. But I've taken my Dad's gentle concerns in. I am stepping outside the role I've set up for myself as his protector (and his main persecutor!) and I am going to look more at just how I can prepare him for how real life actually is...... it's not fair. He won't be able to throw a tantrum at 21 and scream how nobody buys him anything and then the fairy turns up and brings him a new lamp, a clock radio and a bunch of fighting figurines for his own special bookshelf.
It's such a fine line between wanting to give your kids everything you can but making sure you don't ruin them for the tough reality of life.
Wow. Too deep for a Wednesday. I'm going to walk to the dog in a minute (or am I? my bottom says no) and then I'm going to work a bit on my script. Or watch Dr Phil.
I'm so torn. And das ist nicht wunderbar!
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