Noble Savage » 2009

Smart reads Saturday

NS July 18th, 2009

Blues of a Waxwing – Escaping the bubble of religious fanaticism

Cave Mother – How we talk about co-sleeping

Karen Gregory writing for The F-Word – Excellent review of “The Politics of Breastfeeding”

Anna Corbett, also writing for The F-Word – Confessions of a brand new feminist

Some bullet points and a video

NS July 13th, 2009

Jetlag is almost cured. Children now back to their usual bedtime and crack-of-dawn wake time. The 10am wakings were good while they lasted…for a whole two days.

I want to give a medal to all of the people who have successfully parented a child through the ages of two and three and lived to tell the tale. Seriously y’all, this shit takes some reserves of patience and inner strength that I may have to hire excavating equipment to find within me.

I am scaring myself with how many times a day I wish I could freeze The Noble Baby in his current state, at nearly 10 months old. He is so much fun right now — getting into everything, becoming really curious about the world around him and increasingly mobile (started crawling on our holiday!), babbling and starting to repeat gestures and laughing at silly faces and noises. I look at him and squeal “You are so freakin’ adorable” and coo and pinch his cheeks at least five times a day, like I’m some great spinster aunt who just looooooves babies but only ever gets to see one about once every three years and so goes completely overboard when faced with one in the flesh. I love love love this age, it is my absolute favourite. However, it does make me feel a smidgen guilty that I’m dreading him becoming a toddler because then I feel like I’m hatin’ on my daughter for being three, when it’s not her fault that she is so infuriating, annoying and troublesome 50% of the time. Must remember the other, oh-so-hilarious-and-wonderful 50% of her, too.

My sister is here visiting and we break out the wine between 5-6pm nearly every evening. Thank god for sisters, is all I can say, for reminding us that we don’t have to stop drinking when we have kids. And the lady can make a mean, mean cocktail. She is uber-useful, amongst her other great qualities. Love ya, sis!

Someone’s dog(s) keep crapping right on our front drive. I suspect it is my trashy, horrible next-door neighbours (who happen to have three huge dogs) and I have resolved today that if I discover it IS them, I am going to place the messiest, stinkiest, leakiest nappy on their front step one morning, sunny side up. So help me god, I am serious. I’m a vindictive little bitch.

I never get tired of the film “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.”

Rachel Maddow could kick Bill O’Reilly’s ass, anytime. And I really wish she would. He needs a beatdown and that news ninja is just the one to give it to him, I think.

My parents and husband suprised me on my 30th birthday while we were in the US by renting out the bed and breakfast where we had our wedding. I had no idea they were planning it and was truly, genuinely surprised, which is such a rarity these days. It was a spectacular walk down memory lane, to have a drink on the same roof where we had our pictures taken in our formal attire; to get in the same hot tub; to sleep (ahem) in the same bed; and eat at the same breakfast table. The owners were away and no one else was there so we had the entire place to ourselves. To kiss my husband on the steps where we said “I do” all those years ago and see our two children playing nearby was the most magical, wonderful birthday present and one I will never forget. Thank you, TNH and the Noble Parents.

I was skinnier immediately after giving birth to TNB than I had been since 2003. I put this down to the magic weight loss diet that is Breastfeeding and happily continued stuffing my face. Unfortunately, when a baby starts on solids and drops even just a couple of feeds, the weight piles back on. And I don’t mean a pound or two overall, I mean like a fucking freight train of fat come to roost in ma belly. That was a complete mangling of the metaphor, but you get my drift. In the last two months (since TNB started on solids in earnest, and after my American holiday), I have gained a whopping 15 lbs! I am not even joking. The trousers I used to need a belt to even keep up are now pretty snug and I feel like a stuffed sausage in my cute summer t-shirts. Right now I am rocking the baby doll shirt and yoga pants look until I can shed some of this weight and get back on track after Gluttonypalooza 2008/09. Yoga classes start on Wednesday and I’m beginning the Couch-to-5k programme a week after that. With a little work and some luck, those pounds will be shed, oh yes.

Finally, a really cool animation of an interview with John Lennon in 1969, by a teenage boy who snuck into his hotel room. Hat tip to the amazing and creatively rich Eris at Welcome to the Planet

The sights of summer

NS July 7th, 2009

My visit in the US is drawing to a close and I will be arriving back in London on Friday morning. My sister is flying back with me and staying for another week and I’m sure the jetlag and laundry will keep me busy for a few days as well so posting will continue to be sparse for just a little while longer. In the interim, a few pictures taken with my new camera and my new love, the Canon Rebel XSi.

Warm days