Wanting to see Sarah

Poor little Lucy just woke up. I think she might have had a nightmare, but not sure? Maybe she's not old enough to have nightmares yet?

Anyway, I gave her a bottle of milk and she said, "See Sarah". I explained that Sarah was asleep in the other room so she couldn't see Sarah, then she said it again, "See Sarah" in a very disappointed tone. She was almost crying. I told her she could see Sarah in the morning. She's never asked for Sarah during the night before. I love that they are so close. Sisterly love, just beautiful.

Raggedy Ann

The girls have been watching Raggedy Ann in "The Enchanted Square" on DVD. Mum bought it for them a year or so ago. It's a really old cartoon created in 1947. It's quite sad, but beautiful.

A little girl, who is blind, is given a doll by a Police Officer who found it in the rubbish. The little girl holds the doll, Raggedy Ann, and says how she wishes she could see what she looked like. Raggedy Ann teaches her to use her imagination so she can see her doll. The little girl has an adventure with Raggedy Ann and then 'sees' her Mum for the first time. It's a beautiful DVD.

Apparently the first Raggedy Ann book was created by Johnny Gruelle in 1918. I'd love to read it. Maybe I'll get it for the girls for their next birthday?

Hanging in there... just

I actually posted this on my other blog not long before I created this one, but thought it was worth reposting here for anyone who missed it.

Yep, it's a demanding, full-on job being a Mum. There are times I've felt so overwhelmed. Even now my youngest is sitting on my lap having just wee-d all over the bedroom floor trying to 'help' me on the computer. Then comes the tantrum for some unknown reason. She also wee-d all over her sheets, rug and pillow this morning too - the joys of toilet-training.

I've been listening to this CD by Steven Curtis-Chapman in my car this week, and every time I hear this particular song, I think all Mums should hear it. So here it is. Steven shares how he came to write the song before singing it, I found it really encouraging.

Hope it encourages you too - hang in there Mums, you are changing the world one heartbeat at a time.

One Heartbeat at a Time

You're up all night with a screaming baby
You run all day at the speed of life
And every day you feel a little bit less
Like the beautiful woman you are

So you fall into bed when you run out of hours
And you wonder if anything worth doing got done
Oh, maybe you just don't know
Or maybe you've forgotten

You, you are changing the world
One little heartbeat at a time
Making history with every touch and every smile
Oh, you, you may not see it now
But I believe that time will tell
How you, you are changing the world
One little heartbeat at a time

With every "I know you can do it"
Every tear that you kiss away
So many little things that seem to go unnoticed
They're just like the drops of rain over time
They become a river

And you, you are changing the world
One little heartbeat at a time
Making history with every touch and every smile
Oh, you, you may not see it now
But I believe that time will tell
How you, you are changing the world
One little heartbeat at a time

You're beautiful
You're beautiful
How you're changing the world
You're changing the world

You, you are changing the world
One little heartbeat at a time
Making history with every touch and every smile
Oh, you, you may not see it now
But I believe that time will tell
How you, you are changing the world
Oh, I believe that you
You are changing the world
One little heartbeat
At a time

And you're changing the world

Your experience as a Mum in one word

A friend once bumped into me at the shops not long after having Lucy, my second baby, and remarked, "It's a unique stage of life". Quite a good description.

Unique.

If you could use any word to describe your experience as a Mum, what would it be?

I realise it's not a word, but supercalifragilisticexpialidocious comes to mind for me - thought I'd google it, and of course there's no dictionary definition. But here's what came up in my search, "Where did supercalifragilisticexpialidocious come from? Yes, From the famous Disney movie Mary Poppins. Though used in such a positive tone in the movie, it's a great over exaggerated way of describing a fun time or a person's character."

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.

I usually like to keep things balanced - supercalifragilisticexpialidocious doesn't really incorporate all the difficult experiences and the struggles associated with being a Mum - but I'll go with this word anyway. Overall that's been my experience as a Mum so far.

Pondering about Motherhood

I don't really like the term 'motherhood' as it sounds a bit formal and in my mind doesn't sound very fun, but part of the definition in the dictionary is 'the state of being a mother' or 'the qualities traditionally associated with being a mum', which is more what I'm wanting this blog to be about. The state of being a Mum, including the fun stuff and the tough stuff.

I have another blog, Pondering About Life, that I started back in June 2009. But I decided it'd be good to create a separate blog specifically about being a Mum. I'd love the opportunity to interact more with other blogging Mums and ponder together about our lives as Mums, and most of all to encourage each other that we're not alone in our struggles, and to share practical ideas about surviving motherhood.

I've been a single Mum for over 12 months now. My girls were nearly 1 and nearly 2 when we first separated. It's been a tough experience, but I'm sure many others have even tougher stories than mine. Being a Mum isn't an easy road, though it is rewarding. At times it's exhausting, frustrating and overwhelming, and at other times it's wonderful, and lots of fun.

I have no idea how frequently I'll post on this blog. As a person who likes structure and being systematic, all that kind of goes out the window when you're a Mum. Regardless of how often I post, I'd love this to be an interactive blog, to hear stories from other Mums and for us to be able to encourage and support each other. You can email me too at alison.janne.young@gmail.com

Looking forward to the journey.