Saturday, May 12, 2007

What's on your fridge?

Daffa posted a few pics of her fridge. She has a theory that your fridge may be the part of your house that gives the biggest insight into your life and person. I think she may be onto something there, so here's my fridge ...

Right hand side: Local 'EasterFest' ad ripped out of the local news to remind us to go (we forgot) - held up by one of the magnets from Euey's magndoodle and a magnet outlining immunisation schedule.

Left hand side: More immunisation reminders and shedules, library book receipt to remind me to take them back (they were 3 weeks late when i finally did), timetable of Tiny Tot sessions at local library.

Front: Writing from when my brother had the fridge while we were in Korea (Tunzafun?!), pictures from the plastic apron I made Euey's high chair cover out of, flyer for local Primary School Fair, picture of us with shaved heads from Thaliand, magnet with timetable of home games of the Melbourne Demons (Australian Football League).

Top: The fruit bowl, basket full of medication and other random shit and the Pucca clock from Korea are always there, the other stuff just accumulates (Will's footy magazine, cooler for a baby bottle, packet of re-writable dvds).


I am tagging Bon for this one as I have heard about a cutsie lunchbox being spotted in one of her photos and I'd love to see if she has any other Korean remnents lurking on her fridge.

Friday, May 11, 2007

Mother's Day

Catching up on the news this evening and a discussion on Mother's Day in The Australian caught my eye. The original article claimed that not only mothers mother. That limiting Mothers' Day to mothers hurts women and children. What about nannies, next-door-neighbours and the women who 'get the kids to footy or netball training'? ask the authors. What about children who don't have a mother but want to recognise someone who mothers them, aren't they included?

Caroline Overington rails against the idea that mothers are no more special to their children than the lady next door. She says:
Mothers know what mothers are. They are people with a piece of their heart always on fire. They are people who would give up the last scrap of food in a famine; the last drop of water from a tap; the last blanket in a storm. Take their children from them and you will soon find them walking incessantly in circles; pulling holes in their jumpers, tearing hair from their scalp.

I LOVE this summation of motherhood. But I think both authors have missed the point. On Mother's Day, given half a chance, children will recognise whoever they feel is a Mum. We don't have to artificially broaden the definition of Mum so that every women who goes near a kid is included. Nor do we have to limit it to just Mums. It will just happen. The kid of a single Dad who goes to the lady next door every day after school will give her a kiss on the cheek and a cheeky 'Happy Mother's Day Mum'. The kid who's in day care 'cause Mum and Dad have to pay the bills will hug their carer extra hard that day. Kids everywhere will buy or make cards for Mums, Grandmums, Stepmums, Fostermums and whoever else they want. And this year I will ring Anna, Euey's Good-Mum and he will say 'log-oo* Anna'. I hope that will become a tradition.

log-oo = Love You.