What's in a Name

I think that choosing a name for a child is actually a really, really difficult thing to do. We had such a hard time, we ummed and ahhhed over it for almost my entire pregnancy. I had liked the name Ezra from the get go, but it didn't go over so well when we mentioned it to a few people, so it had me second guessing. We didn't officially decide that would be our baby's name until we were in the labour ward at the hospital.

We left the hospital a few days later with our bundle of screaming and pooping joy! Then as per usual we started going to all the normal appointments and getting out and about and people started asking us...

'oh, what's his name'

I reply 'Ezra' (obviously).

They would then furrow their brow and say 'Oh, that's an interesting name'

Followed by 'where did you get that from, or what made you choose that name?'

But, It isn't the questions themselves that get me all hot under the collar, it's the way that people ask them, their tone voice, and the look on their faces, as if to say 'wow, that kid is going to get beat up in school for that name' (some even come right out and say it)

I answer, 'Ezra is a person and a book in the Bible. (but that isn't why we chose it, it wasn't like we were set on naming our child out of a bible book. It just turned out that we liked the name, that's why we really chose it.'

Isn't that why most people choose names for their children, because they like it!! I know it is also because it's a family name, or it's sentimental, or it has a great meaning, but it is usually also because they like it. Do people questions parents who name their child David, why they chose that name?

Maybe I was just asking for this reaction when I named my child an apparently 'unusual' name.

Am I wrong to get irritated when people react this way?

I even had one lady at an op-shop tell me it was weird. Thank you 70 year old lady I don't know and don't particularly need the opinion of.

To be honest it is mostly the over 50's crowd that are the rudest about it, and mostly complete strangers. They go to lengths to make it sooooo obvious they don't like his name. Most younger folk have grown up with a neighbour called Rainbow, or a cousin called Jorjia (pronounced Georgia) so they don't seem to bat an eyelid and just say 'oh cool'.

I remember the kids that got picked on at my school, and they had names like David, Peter and Andrew. Kids at my school maybe made a quick joke or two about someone's unusual name, but that was never the reason for picking on someone. With our very multicultural society Ezra is not really going to stand out in a class scenario. But, Thankyou for your concern strangers in the supermarket!

So, the point of this...

Keep your opinions to yourself, I don't care if you don't like my child's name, I chose it, it is now his name, so as my Mum always said, if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. You can gasp at his name behind my back, or tell your friends you don't like it, but I don't need to know what you think,

Feel free to vent in the comment section, I know you want to!!

Karen xx

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A day at a Dr Seuss park

Near where we live there is this awesome Dr Seuss themed park (Kadidjiny park, Kitchener Road, Melville). I love that the councils are getting more creative with the play grounds and things for families to get involved in, in Perth. How awesome are all the trees painted red and white? It has two slides, one big (pictured), one smaller, a big tyre swing, blue carpeted hills and lots of little things for kids to do. This big slide is FAST, I was going to take Ezra down, and then Joel suggested I go down by myself first, with all the other parents looking on of course. Yep, so glad I didn't take him! Some things are a little big for toddlers, but he still had a blast running around the play ground. 

They also have BBQ's and is a great place for a family picnic. 

If you never did, you should, these things are fun, and fun is good!!

 - Dr Seuss

Linking up with Trish at My little Drummer boys for Wordless Wednesday!

The Great Vacuum Battle of 2012

There is a great battle that goes on in our house every couple of days. It is a battle of wits, determination and strength. Neither party is willing to give up their positions and it generally ends in tears and sorrow. It may not be comparable to other great history-worthy battles such as The Battle of Hastings, or The Battle of Midway. But, in our house, this battle is real and it is of utmost importance. It is about one woman's mission to eliminate dust bunnys, dog hair and endless crumbs, and her small, but feisty opponent who tries to sabotage the mission.

It is the Great Vaccum Battle of 2012.

Does it sound dramatic enough yet? I hope so.

The Vacuum is a very sought after and desired appliance in our household. I like it due to its usefulness in cleaning up toddler messes and dog hair, however a certain toddler likes it for reasons I have yet to completely figure out. In fact he has an obsession with it.

The moment the motor starts to whir, I hear little footsteps hurrying along the floorboards. I may get two or three motions back and forth before the Vaccum is descended upon and is being wrangled from my hands. I would have no problem letting him do the vacuuming if he actually could do it effectively, but instead he basically bashes it into every surface and piece of furniture in the house. It takes me about 5 minutes to do one corner with his 'help'.

If I manage to somehow release his death grip on the vacuum handle, I then have to deal with a tantrum, screaming, crying, throwing oneself on the floor, it's a lose, lose situation.

My only hope is if he gets distracted by the actual main part of the vacuum and sits on it like a ride on car that blows air out and gives him and awesome wind blown 80's video clip look and makes me want to bust out 'Livin on a Prayer'.

Needless to say, not enough vacuuming is occurring in my house right now. I love that he is keen to help me, but this is just not working.

Do you have helpers that actually make certain jobs ten times harder?

Karen xx

 Linking up with the lovely Jess @ Essentially Jess for #IBOT

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Mint and Lime Iced Tea

One thing I miss about living in Florida is the over abundance of Iced Tea at almost every restaurant, it just isn't something you come across very often in Perth. Usually restaurants offer you the choice of Sweet or Unsweetened, of course unsweetened is so much better for you, but Sweet Iced Tea with the copious amounts of sugar just tastes soooooo good. 

But now that I am  cutting down the sugar in my diet I no longer can justify sweet tea, and I hate all the artificial sweeteners as well. I actually have a really hard time even drinking soft-drink (soda) at all anymore, it has actually tastes pretty gross to me now. 

The weather in Perth got a bit nicer yesterday, and the sun was shining, and I got a craving for some Iced Tea. We have a massive bunch of mint in the fridge that needed to be used, and a couple of limes lying around, so they made the perfect addition to my tea. No need for sweeteners, the flavour was perfect and really refreshing. 

Karen xx 

Lentil, Brown Rice & Feta Salad

I don't often like to brag about how amazing my husband is, but he is. One thing I am very, very appreciative of is his cooking ability, and that he is happy after a day at work to come home and cook! Tonight he made such an easy, healthy and delicious meal I had to share!

Ingredients:

3 Cups Brown Rice

2 Cups brown lentils

1 Capsicum (we used red, but I think yellow is good too)

1 cup organic sultanas

2 spring onions

1/2 cup parsley

1/2 cup mint

1 cup spinach

100g Feta

1/2 cup lemon juice

3tbs Olive Oil

Method:

Basically we just cooked the rice and the lentils and then chopped or crumbled everything into small pieces and mix it all in together, mix through the olive oil and lemon juice and let it stand for a while to get the flavours through the dish.

Even the toddler ate this! I was skeptical if he would, but as long as we do the two spoon method he eats things like this ok (two spoon is one for me, one for him, it distracts him long enough to open his mouth and let me shovel the food in, also he is trying really hard to feed himself too).

We also have plenty left over for lunch for all of us tomorrow, I can't wait to eat it again.

Please try it, you'll love it!

Karen xx

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Tale of the crap student

So I was enjoying my Wednesday morning, a napping toddler and a cup of tea, when suddenly my relaxed morning got thrown into turmoil, and panic set in.

I had thought to myself, 'I should just check when my 2500 word essay for Uni is due in, I know it is coming up.' low and behold the words FRIDAY 2nd NOV jumped out of the screen and down my throat.

Oh no, oh no, oh no. I had yet to write a single word.

There is no way I am going to have time to finish this with an active 15 month old in tow.

What to do, what to do.

The lightbulb went on, MUM!

Yep, I'm a grown woman, and A Mum as well, and sometimes I still need my Mummy to help me when I drop the ball, big time.

So on Thursday morning drove the hour drive to my folks house, and ran upstairs to hide away with my head in the books. While my Mum watched her house get torn apart by the toddler tornado.

We ended up staying the night, and I ended up mostly finishing my essay, just had to do all the footnotes when I got home.

I don't know what I would have done otherwise. With everything else going on in our lives in the last couple of months my Uni degree hasn't been way up there with the things that consume my mind.

It is my first semester back since being a Mum, I tried last semester but I dropped out part way through due mostly to lack of sleep, it just wasn't conducive to legible essays and assignments,

Plus last semester I was taking a English Lit unit that required the reading of one novel a week, including the likes of Dangerous Liasons, Wuthering Heights, Blood Meridian and Passage to India. It just wasnt going to happen. Although I did read and ended up Loving Wuthering Heights, I definitely recommend it.

Not a bad view to help me study

This semester I stuck to one unit, and one that I felt was pretty interesting, and so far it has been. That has helped keep me engaged, and on top of my game. Until this week that it.

To all those parents who are also students out there, I take my hat off to you, it is hard work. And sometimes even people like me who like to think I can do Everything myself need a little help too.

Karen xx

 

 

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