a home without a television

I love moving furniture around, creating new spaces in our home. Even with a small space, and most of the time, a lack of different spots to move things to, I still manage to change it up a little. My next view is to move the big hunk of media metal off my cabinet, and turf it away.

The television.

Personally I don't watch it. I watch most things online if I want to catch up on things, or I watch flicks, or have a good old fashioned chat. I love a good chat. I am not into reality television shows, or shows that to me have no meaning. If anything ABC, or SBS is on. {And of course I cave into a bit of Offspring}. So if I don't watch it, then why make it accessible and the thing to turn on for my little people?

Lately I have had both Keely and Taj switch their ears off to me. I feel like I am the biggest nag. Even playing my own voice back in my head is a terrible broken record. I blame the television more than I blame my own parenting. Plus their age, and the fact I am trying to get them to take responsibilities of their individual routines in the mornings. 

It's pretty simple. Get dressed, make your beds, eat your breakfast, put your bowls in the sink, brush your teeth, hair and help me pack your bags with the lunch boxes and homework. Simple enough. It is even written on a list on the fridge, in pretty drawn pictures to make it more fun, and creative. I don't think I am asking too much. I am here to help them along the way. However I was finding that I was always late out the door as I too had to get ready, and it meant that I was walking out of the house with no breakfast. The last two days, I have made it their breakfast that gets put last. It went pear shaped yesterday, and Keely only just ate. 

There goes the television.

And today, no television, and Taj only just ate. I know it will take time, but I truly do think a home with no television allows them to have their creativity back that they had before the box, and before I found the box as the easy thing. It is nice to remove the 'go to' toy, and allow them to now play with their things, do craft, and on nice afternoons, play outside in the street on their bikes and scooters, and even kick a ball with me.

Now to remove the television, and recreate our space. We will do this together, as I don't want them to see the removal of the television as a punishment. It is a new way for us to be a family without the box as a distraction.

*we have a great computer that is in my room. this can be our television on weekends to have our movie nights on.

thank you royal commission

A few weeks back I did something that I didn't think I was really capable of doing. Well, I knew I could write, and it was about a subject close to my heart, and one I have great knowledge about. This time I had to use my head more so than my heart as I wrote a submission that went to the Royal Commission. It took me almost 3 hours to write. There were tea and chocolate brownie eating episodes in between. The pressure was on, as it had to be done that day, and into them by 9am the next day.

They were asking for submissions for a certain topic that I knew I could answer all, if not most of their questions. I knew I had some pretty good answers too from my personal experience of child sexual assault. This morning I received the email to say that my submission will be made public later this month.

Today is a great day. 

I found our day

Today I didn't really want to happen. I am not keen on this date, and how fast it comes around. Eight years is a long time, and in another way, it isn't that long at all. I truly feel like I saw my mum yesterday, and I still reach for my phone at times to call her and tell her things. I really hope those instincts never go, as they are quite beautiful. 

grateful for my beautiful friend who took me here for the weekend 

With wanting a day to not really happen, avoidance is a good thing. However it kicked off without me having the chance of avoiding mum's anniversary. I received two handmade cards from my little people. Keely's card says; 

'I love you to the moon Nan Nan love Keely xxooo'

and inside it says,

'I love you mummy. Have a happy day' {insert two happy faces}

and on the back is a drawing of Keely putting Nan Nan's ashes in the waterfall with a rainbow behind it. There are trees and birds, and the sun is shining.

Taj's card says;

'My Nan is beautiful. I love Nan because she is absolutely brilliant.'

and on the back it says,

'I love Nan so much. Nanny absolutely…stop stop stop it might be fun.'

and on the back there is an image of my mum on the moon, touching a star and sending the star down to us. 

This is why I can never let this day not happen. Everyday my mum is in my thoughts, and right beside me. She is in our conversations, in their drawings, and always will be.

Today I swam in the 50 metre pool. I had no other choice. I wanted to swim today, and have that time with my mum. The 25 metre pool was covered, pretty much a neon flashing sign from my mum, 'don't be a chicken, swim in the BIG pool.' One lap in and I could feel the tight chest as the pool got deeper. Oh I sucked it up, and swam a good kilometre in 21 minutes and still made it for school pickup. Thank you Mumso for a day that is becoming our special day, and not the day that I lost you.