Silent Sunday... FunnyGirl

For Silent Sunday. Don't forget to stop by the Linky on Jay's blog and also pop over to see what my other daughter has posted for her Silent Sunday.

Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

When the clock stops

Yesterday I read a great post on Slummy Single Mummy's blog about the lies we tell. It gave me the courage to come clean here.

I'm a bad mummy, it's true. 

Today the clock stopped working. I'm not talking biological clock here - this is strictly alarm clock (aka FunnyGirl) and at 9am (on a school day) our whole house was still in slumber. The shrill sound of my office phone woke me. I rolled over in disbelief that I was getting a work call so early when I saw the numbers on my bedside clock read 09:10.

Now to be fair I do sometimes (quite regularly) sleep through the whole morning thing as Yan has this rather good habit of slipping silently out of bed to get the kids ready for school, but today when I rolled in the other direction I realised he was dead to the world next to me!

I listened real hard for any signs of life downstairs... there were none. The kids were all dead to the world too.

Now, I know that it's really actually quite bad that we were (at this point) 30 minutes late for school but I have to say that I secretly thought it was FAB.

I've been a mum for 20 years (owch) and three out of my four children have been day break risers. We've tried the staying up later but that just results in grouchy kids and a doubly grouchy mum.

So today was like a new adventure. We ate waffles and the kids giggled. They were late for school. How fab? The only other time they have been late for school was the time I reversed my car into the house... but lets not go into that now.

They talked of bunking off and the things they could do. I jumped in and foiled their plans by calling school in the hope that I could still get them their school dinner (no bread in), only to be met with the response; "We thought you might have slept in, so we ordered their lunches anyway."

Clearly the school office manager is psychic but what the hell. 

Off they went at 10.30am with broad beaming smiles on their little faces and we all drew just that little bit closer with the knowledge of our naughtiness:)

Rewind a year to this post about Betty's early rising activity and you will totally get what a random thing today was.

The King & I dates

So many people have been asking me which dates the girls are performing in The King & I and we finally have their schedule through.

I thought it would be easier to list them here than have to continually reel them off! Tickets have already sold out on quite a few shows - so if you'll need to get in fast. Book here.

Friday 3rd December - Evening 

Saturday 4th December - Evening

Monday 6th December - Evening

Tuesday 7th December - Evening

Thursday 9th December - Evening

Saturday 11th December - Evening

Wednesday 15th December - Matinee

Friday 17th December - Evening

Monday 20th December - Evening

Wednesday 22nd December - Evening

Friday 24th December - Matinee

Tuesday 28th December - Evening

Thursday 30th December - Evening

Saturday 1st January - Evening

Wednesday 5th January - Evening

Saturday 8th January - Matinee

Wednesday 12th January - Matinee

Saturday 14th January - Evening

As you can see I will be spending a lot of time in my new adopted office (aka, The Curve bar) over the coming weeks!

The Gallery...... Seasons

In a bid to clear my brain I dug down into my photo archives to take part in this weeks Gallery. A topical theme, Seasons.

I'm an Autumn girl through and through. Perhaps that's because of my November birth - but I'm not really sure. I love the rich deep colours of the leaves as they decide to fall and the crunch beneath your feet as you stride through the rich red, orange and yellow on the ground.

I love these pics of my girls. They were taken a fair few years ago at the Conker tree in the center of our village, FunnyGirl is just a toddler. 

We had so much fun collecting big juicy conkers in all of our pockets and crunching through the leaves.

ModelGirl is a bit like a tree herself! You can date her by the length of her hair and here it is so short, years away from being able to sit on it like she can now! I miss them being small, excited and worry free. Hang on to those moments and cherish them dearly.

If you are new to The Gallery, please do stop by at least a few new blogs - you never know you may just stumble across something that you totally love.

The Gallery.....Red

There was only ever one pic for the Red theme of this weeks Gallery. I love, love, love this pic of FunnyGirl, way back when she was only about 9 months old. If you have ever stopped by my business website you will have seen it before - but what a perfect image to promote my company?

Not so horror but cute beyond words.

If you have just stumbled across this post - do head over to Tara's blog for The Gallery linky, that will go live on Wednesday morning. You will find some amazing blogs for sure.

FunnyGirl's Lyrical Practice..

Dance festival tomorrow - her first time in the junior section so fingers crossed. Here is her Lyrical solo.

Shocked to the core

A couple of weeks ago, when we were out as a family something happened that I fear has changed my children's view of the world forever and as this chain of events unfolds I become more shocked and sickened by the attitudes of the people around us who have been masquerading as our friends.

It started out as a regular Sunday but as soon as we arrived at the boot sale my husband was being trailed by a gang of teenagers who were hurling racial abuse and insults at him. Being Chinese, this is something that he has had to deal with since he was a child. He is 'expected' to take it on the chin, rise above it, laugh it off. For him, this is a fact of life.

In the car on the way home came shock number two as six year old FunnyGirl said....

"Mummy, I've just realised that when my friends at school sing those horrible songs about me being Chinese and pull their eyes, that they are being really mean to me - just like those boys were being to daddy - and I don't like it."

It transpires that the main culprits are two of her 'best' friends and as I would class their mums as my good friends I saw no issue in speaking to them about it.

Mum 1. Perfect response. We spoke about it, she spoke to her daughter. She explained to her that things you say can be hurtful to people, even if you aren't trying to be mean and she asked me to let her know straight away if it happened again.

She handled the situation respectfully.

Mum 2. Took what I said to her as a personal attack - which was far from the truth. I explained that I didn't want my children to be ashamed of their Chinese heritage.

"But they are beautiful, stunning children - why would they be?" she replied.

Beauty it seems is only skin deep as I was then told that it is perhaps a good thing that they get used to this now...... if they are going to have to deal with it for the rest of their lives.

WHAT???????

Children are not born racists. They take on the attitudes and views of the people close to them who mold and shape them. And it was at that moment that I realised how little you actually know the people you call friends.

For the first time, I have questioned if having mixed race children was a selfish decision and that makes me really angry with myself. Our family was created out of love and race or colour was never once mentioned yet it seems that my beautiful children will be defined by it forever.

I know that the six year old girls involved didn't say those things in the same deliberate manner as the teenage boys but it all starts somewhere.

"We can't change the world.." the mum said.

Tell that to Nelson Mandella.

Update...
After reading all of the comments to this post I would like to thank every one of you for your support. I needed it today. FACT.
I have an appointment with the teachers at school in the morning - and I will update you to their reaction..... because did you know??? Our school has a zero tolerance to bullying policy.

In addition to this please read this amazing, sad, angry, thought provoking post from my husband.

The Ready For Ten April meme

I'm loving the new Ready For Ten site and when I saw this meme - I knew that we had to step up with a vlog entry...... well two really.

So first up we have she who is known as FunnyGirl - she is six and funny. The questions that I asked her are at the end of the post - just incase you would like to join in this fab meme. Do be sure to add your post to the McKlinky back over at Ready For Ten though.....

1. How does the world change in the spring?
2. Lots of babies are born in the spring. Where do you think baby animals are born?
3. What did mummy do before you were born?
4. Spring is a good time to play outside. If you and mummy could spend a whole day playing outside, doing anything you want, what would it be?
5. Did you know we moved the clocks forward onto British Summer Time? Why do you think we do this?
6. How long is it until summer?

The Gallery.... Colour

I must say that I found this weeks Gallery a real challenge. This weeks theme is colour and I have spent hours trawling through my stacks of files.

I hope you enjoy this.

Thanks again to Tara at Sticky Fingers for the best meme in the blogosphere....

FunnyGirl does Chubby Bunny.. with a twist

So not to be out done by her older siblings, FunnyGirl insisted in getting in on the act. Only she doesn't do marchin mallows (as she calls them).
"Well" I said; "I can fit at least 12 chocolate fingers into my cavernous gob... if you take after me... you could be in with a chance..."
And so, the challenge was set... and yes this is stupid.... and hell yes it probably is a choking hazard. But come on.. Are we really, seriously not allowed a little fun?
Of course, if there are any minors reading my blog.... which I doubt.. then Please do not try this at home without full adult supervision. IT IS DANGEROUS TO EAT CHOCOLATE FINGERS.. OK!

And in keeping with the fellowship of the blog... I tag my BlogHer buddie (miss you too...) Rach @ Grasping for Objectivity, Rosie (how could I not) @ well RosieScribble of course, Sonny (he needs a re match cause he can't take being beaten by a girl) @ TotallySonny and the slacker Claire (who cheated by getting her big mouthed sailor bf in on the act) @ OMG.
Lets open it up here. Chocolate fingers (have to be the real ones.... imitations are not the same size!) or you can stay with the march mallows... up to you.
I am not wimping out on my own personal challenge set by The Sailor.... but I am telling you now, 5 is pathetic!

I Got the Shiny Happy People meme....

Which is of course ironic - since I am THE most grumpy person that I know. So firstly thanks to Nickie at Typecast for well... typecasting me and secondly to my pink haired soul sister Rosie Scribble for having too much time on her hands and coming up with the meme in the first place.

The rules are..

1. Name a song that makes you happy - a song you would listen to if you needed a sudden injection of happiness;

2. Post an image that makes you smile. It can be anything - a silly photo, an image taken from the internet, anything that puts a smile on your face (and isn't too rude!).

So... being such a miserable cow is not all Morrissey and Portishead you know.... I have thought, pondered and wracked my brain searching for a tune so cool and intelligent - that would blow you all away - but the cold honest truth is that High School Musical is where it's at in my stereo (and every one in the house) right now!

FunnyGirl loves this song and we have re-created Troy and Gabriella's roof top dalliance around my bedroom on many occasions. This simple interlude and the memory from it that is etched inside me will never stop lifting the darkness.

'High School Musical 3' Can I Have This Dance? @ Yahoo! Video">

'High School Musical 3' Can I Have This Dance? @ Yahoo! Video

And if you can't stand that - then it really has to be a spot of The Smiths. 

I challenge anyone to find a place that HSM and Morrissey are referenced in the same edit but here I go! Even though I cried myself to sleep every night through my sixteenth year listening to the extended 12" version of this master piece in it's full orchestrated misery, it now offers me great comfort and warmth.... enjoy!

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And as for an image.....

A girl and her daddy and the sheer love that I captured in this kiss. How could this image fail to melt my heart. My FunnyGirl and her daddy... every time I look at this image I wish that that kiss was shared with me..

I tag @lolas_mum @ilovemonty @20somethingmum @That_Kat  and @swhittle

I dream of sleep...

Before I begin, I should say that this was never intended as a stand alone post but as I was merrily typing away in Tara Cain's comment box after reading about her own little madams sleep issues, I realised that I had in fact produced an essay on my own plight! So to spare all of her readers the agony of a page long comment - I thought that I would inflict it on you all instead... because you are supposed to be interested in what I have to say... right? (this is where you leave a comment to say...."I love reading about your life / loves / disasters / traumas etc.." do add or delete there as necessary.

Right... for you to fully understand what it is I am going on about I suggest that you read Tara's post here, but don't forget to come back!

Now I have the same problem as Tara but in reverse! FunnyGirl (now 6) has some weird kind of sleep 'issue' that the doctor said she would grow out of when she started full time school. She hasn't.... and not only has it continued but she now holds the enviable title of "Most reliable child to fall asleep during assembly".
At one point we were talking six assemblies in a row.It got so bad that they have to put her on the end of a row to catch her as she naps. And if that wasn't bad enough, she even fell asleep during their big Easter assembly..... in church!

She goes to bed early (always by 7pm, or earlier) but when she wakes it generally has a 5 in front of it. Yes FunnyGirl is not so funny - she is a true morning person. I on the other hand, am a night owl.

We have tried keeping her up later in the evening but there is no stopping her. When she wants to sleep - she sleeps. In fact you can be having a conversation with her, turn away for a minute and then she is sparko! One of ModelGirl and TotallySonny's favourite family tales is of the time that she fell asleep whilst having lunch at a pizza restaurant. I was wedged between the girls and turned to one side to help ModelGirl cut something on her plate, when I turned back a moment later there she was head first in her hot pizza, out like a light!

Six years of early mornings really do take their toll. We've tried all kinds of things - but nothing's worked. We gave her a Gro-Clock and a strict set of instructions on acceptable parental waking times. 

She thought this amusing and we realised for the first time that it wasn't her fault that she wakes early - as before Gro-Clock she hadn't been aware of what time it was. It was simply the time that her internal clock said GO FORTH AND WAKE THE WORLD in big bold capital letters with bells and whistles attached.

Then we decided on a damage limitation policy. We let her have a TV in her room. Yes I know TV is evil but so am I after five years of having to get up when I should quite frankly just be going to bed. Her TV only has DVD playing capabilities and she, being a child of the modern age could teach any adult how it all works with ease.

Only that didn't really work either because she liked to turn it up loud enough to not only wake us - but also everyone in the house next door (we are detached).

Next we tried an assigned box of toys but she was falling asleep before she got to choose which box she wanted and I always got it wrong.....

She recently turned six and is now in her second year at primary school. She's a bright, active child - who despite what our GP assured me has not grown out of falling asleep anywhere and everywhere or waking at are-you-kidding-me O'Clock.

I would love to know your thoughts on this. 

Do you think that it's better to get your kids off to bed early, and for them to wake early - but giving you an evening to yourself? or

To let them stay up later (giving you little or no, me / us time), so that you don't have to get up so early in the mornings?

I know that there isn't an answer for us, other than accepting that those random pre-dawn one to one, single child conversations can actually be all you need to get you through the day.

Thanks to Tara Cain for being the inspiration for this post... don't you know that pink hair is in?

Sophie4Sophie dresses go global!

ModelGirl and FunnyGirl's appearance on Planet Awesome Kid has made it to a cool Spanish webmag called Caos, tragically it's not in English - but you can make use of the Google translator. They really are rocking their Sophie4Sophie dresses.

Wordless Wednesday...FunnyGirl bounces

Travel Trauma Part 3 (being blonde was not an issue)

I am beginning to wonder if my travel problems will ever come to an end.....

On Wednesday evening I had a call from my brother. He had just returned from visiting our parents in Cornwall and he suggested that I should go down and see them, like ASAP.

Our mum has been ill for at least 20 years. She has emphysema due to a non tipped Player no 7 habit teamed with the fact that she worked as a machinist at the Chad Valley soft toy factory for ten years. Her lungs are pretty much dead. She spent year after year inhaling fluff off the teddy bears that are now collectors items on top of the self inflicted smoking damage.

To her merit she did give up smoking when I was pregnant with No 1 son (who will be 19 at Christmas), but only after the doctor warned her that she would be dead within two years if she didn't. That all seems a long time ago now though and since then we have thought that we were going to loose her each and every year as the winter chills set in, her problems made worse by the super bugs that seem to be her best friend.

Then earlier this year we found out that she had breast cancer. 

Due to the state of her lungs, surgery is not an option and so she went onto yet more medication to try to shrink the lump.

This year the winter bugs hit her in June and she spent the whole summer in hospital whilst her grandchildren came and went as they do each year. They moved to cornwall nine years ago for the sea air and every summer since their place has been a hot bed of family visits.

Mum and dad love having the kids around and I do often wonder if they did the right thing by leaving us behind and moving on but they have made a happy new life for themselves in a beautiful part of the world.

Her summer spell in hospital has not been good for her state of mind - but then who would enjoy being stuck in what is officially the worst hospital in the UK whilst the sun is shining and the birds are singing?

So when I had the call from my brother last week I felt terribly guilty for not being in touch as much as I should and also a little worried that I wouldn't ever see her again.

As it was our half term I decided to take the children down to see her. FunnyGirl had a dance festival the following day but we could leave after that and be there for bed time.

FunnyGirl was amazing as usual, in fact all of the kids in the Junior group were amazing. 
Their first performance together and after just six rehearsals they took the Silver Medal. Another proud parenting moment.

She is bottom right, seated in the picture and at least 4 years younger than everyone else in the group.

Off we went in my little Mini, packed to the rim and bursting with lots of stuff that we didn't really need - but I am not used to being the long distance driver. Yan always drives and I always tweet and sleep and by the time we hit the torrential rain in Bristol I was wiped out. And I knew that I had at least two hours work to do before I went to bed.

After a family discussion it was decided that we would stop at the next services, sleep in a hotel and set of first thing in the morning.

The excitement of my children knew no bounds..... 

A Travelodge...... what joy of joys?!

Now, we have stayed in some pretty swanky 5* hotels in Thailand, so I have to ask - Why, oh why, oh why did they find that manky Travelodge (without even a bar of skin striping soap) so exciting?

They all went straight off to sleep and I got on with the editorial that I had to write. I must add at this point that I HATE the fact that hotels rip you off with their internet access fees. £10 for 1 hour!

Thankfully I had my dongle, but it really gets to me that they charge for wireless access. Just put the price of the room up and be done with it.

So the rest of the outward journey was un-eventful. The kids had a great time. Dad says that our visit really cheered mum up. We had fish and chips and crabbed of the harbour in Mevagissy (an essential in any seaside visit for us!).

Friday was home time. I wanted to leave early ish as I was going to see Morrissey in Birmingham that night. Was I excited? had I been waiting since the gig was cancelled in May? Yes, Yes.

Well we didn't leave early - mainly due to fact that the girls spent far too long on the jewellery stall at the antique fair that we visited but hey ho.

So we left Cornwall at 11.20am. Journey time home on a good day is four hours, leaving me plenty of time to get showered and changed and off to the gig.

3pm - not even reached Bristol. Stuck on the M5, road works and accidents have us at a standstill.

4pm - still not reached Bristol.

5pm - I am resigned to the fact that I am NOT going to get to the Morrissey gig. Gutted.....

5.30pm - The traffic starts to move and FunnyGirl needs a wee. Not funny........

6pm - I come off the M5 at Evesham due to sign saying more congestion on M5 due to another accident. Problem.... everyone else decided to do the same thing. Now this road is at standstill.

6.30pm - Loosing the will to live we decide to sing Morrissey songs until we get home.

6.35pm - Battery on iPhone dies.

6.40pm - Battery on ModelGirls iPod dies

6.45pm - Battery on FunnyGirls iPod dies...

6.50pm - Reach the junction for the M6 - accident and delay warnings......

Perleeeeze - I just want to get home!

We go another way..... we arrive home at 7.45pm. Journey time 8 hours and 25 minutes - an actual record!!!

I really am going to give up travelling now. I hate it.

Tomorrow.... my poor cat:(

FunnyGirl Makes it to the finals!!!

I had been having a pretty bad day in all honesty. Then this afternoon I had a call from the people at Angelina Ballerina.

We went to see the stage show earlier in the year and when we were there we picked up some information on the Angelina Ballerina Children's Award that is being run in conjunction with the National Dance Awards.

I sent off a tape of FunnyGirl ages ago and didn't think anything further. Then today I got the call to say that she had made it to the final shortlist of 25 young dancers and she will be given her chance to audition along with the other 24 finalists for the panel of famous judges in London!

I am so amazed - in all honesty, I think that she has that special something, and she has certainly inherited my dancers feet but I am so proud of her.

So on Monday, we will be bunking off school and heading off to the English National Ballet for FunnyGirl to perform.

Luckily she has been practicing really hard for her second dance festival on Saturday - so her piece is in tip top form.

I will be sure to keep you all posted.

I seriously need to moan...

OK, so this isn't like a one time thing that i have to get of my chest. There are a few things and if I don't get them out soon - I think that I am seriously going to go pop.

Firstly. This morning I was a victim of theft. I had my iPhone with me on our regular sunday morning trip to the car boot sale.

We stopped for chips for the kids - as we do every week and I took out my iPhone to take a pic of ModelGirl who was looking super fly in her recent oversize sunglasses and crochet beanie.

I put my phone back into the outer pocket of my Prada shopper and thought no more.

Speed forward about an hour and we were back at our car. Everyone unloaded their purchases into the car and I fished in my bag for my phone. (It's my traditional Sunday morning thing to Tweet what I have picked up at the car boot). But my phone wasn't there.

Hubby called it - straight to answer phone.

It was around then that we realised that it had possibly been lifted. We sent a text asking for the person to come back to us on this number, but nothing.

I gave it five mins and then tried to call again. This time it was picked up by the father of the 'boy' who had 'found' it on a stall at the car boot. I asked if we could meet so that i could get it back - he said yes, told me where he was (the local traveller's site) and said that I would have to pay.

Annoyed?!

1. My phone had been in my bag the whole time (apart from the afore mentioned pic opp).

2. If his son had found it when and where he said he did then he must have been Billy the Whizz to get back to the traveller's site before we had even left the car boot.

I chose to call the police. I know that I won't get my phone back but under no circumstances did I think that going to their site to get it back was the right thing to do.

On the down side. My phone was not locked and I had not set up the ability to remote wipe it. FYI, I this will be the first thing I will do when my new phone arrives.

Today has been very stressful to say the least.

So.... By the time I came off the phone to O2 / apple / police / insurance - it was like 2.10pm. FunnyGirl's pals were arriving at 3pm. I had not started to cook. The house was a TIP, blah, blah, blah.

The kids arrived. They ran around like utter nutters for about an hour. Unfortunately we have the kind of house that makes kids do that. I think that it is perhaps something to do with the floors and the rooms and most of them being empty. But still, I was having a bad day and I did scream at them at every available occasion.

They finally calmed down as the food was ready.

I'd had all these grand ideas to reproduce Annabel Karmel's Princess Cookbook and the whole world had fallen down around me.

I did manage the following.

12 Annable Karmel mini Muffin Pizzas.

16 hot dogs

20 mini baked potatoes

accompanied by

A huge selection of the Cadbury' Christmas collection cakes and bars (thanks a million to their press office)

and THE cake.

So OK - I nearly forgot the cake - but its been a long day,

Before you ask... that large glass of red belongs to me - not ModelGirl and the glass of fizz is one of the other mums out of shot! But at least FunnyGirl is still smiling....

All in all - I found this home party experience totally and utterly hideous. FunnyGirl had just 5 friends, but each of them has a sibling. On the positive side, each of the said siblings is either a friend of Sonny's or Biba's which should in itself lend to a happy and harmonious gathering.

Big problems of the day.

1. I did not make the jelly.

2. I started cooking too late.

3. There were no leeks is Sainsbury's yesterday and that = no dumplings.

4. I had my bloody phone stolen by some scumbag.

5. I nearly forgot about the cake.

6. I did not have enough hot dog buns.

7. I am not very social at the moment.

8. I seem to have smashed all of my wine glasses (apart from the one I claim above.)

9. I want to curl up on the sofa with FunnyGirl.

10. I know that it is going to take me at least a month to tidy up once everyone has gone.

Tomorrow, the year 4 Roman project and why I think us parents should stand up for ourselves.