The One with the (Rare) Comedy!

I'm in need of a laugh at the moment. I've not felt I've been coping too well with mine or the boys moods and June is proving to be a bit of a washout (I know we've had a drought and it's good for the garden but it's not "I want to run about in the park" toddler friendly)


So inspired by fellow blogger Karen Cannard http://therubbishdiet.blogspot.com/ and her post on Facebook today that her mind was on comedy I give you all this rare (and I mean that in every sense of the word) and random example of radio comedy from the early 1990's!


Here's something chocolately that won't pile on the pounds. With apologies for the dodgy French accent (especially to my readers in France). And yes it is me.....

The One with the Sudden Switch

If I didn't know better and that it is medically impossible, I'd say the boy had PMT! 


He's fine one minute then whinging the next rising to a full crescendo of screaming devil child after that and then..ahhhh... relax... back to smiles and giggles through the tears. The speed of these sudden switches is mind blowing and rivals even my worst mood swings at "that time of the month".


I'm assured by books, other mums and t'internet that this is normal at his age and due partly to teeth (isn't everything) and frustration at wanting to communicate more than just, car, ball, keys, door and bath. For everything else there's random pointing and grunting.


But is it possible the terrible twos have started at 15 months? 


He surely knows his own mind does our boy and I've noticed has a growing awareness of himself, his needs and his independence! This is all fine but it doesn't help me when, after a mammoth struggle, I've finally managed to strap him in his highchair, but hungry and helpless he won't eat a bite until he's got "that thing" he so desperately wants and is frantically pointing too but I can't decipher what on earth it is!


According to one of my books the way to fend off these tantrums is to give a toddler a feeling of control over their life by giving them a choice within a choice. 


"Would you like to wear the red t-shirt or the green one?"


"Would you like to go on the swings or the slide first?"


This, so the theory goes, will help them feel they do have some say in their day and it isn't just Mummy saying no all the time.


So once the boy is in bed tonight I thought I'd give myself some choices within choices to help me take control before my life slips away in an endless stream of "no you mustn't do that"!


"Do I want Mighty Meaty or Ham and Pineapple when I call Domino's tonight?"


"Shall I have a chocolate bar or a piece of cake for dessert?" 


"Glass of red or a gin and tonic?"


There's something to be said for this choices lark and who am I to argue with a theory in a baby book!


Right while the boy's having a nap shall I spend money internet shopping or do the housework?


What do you think......

The One with All The Comedy

If I ever went on Mastermind, which isn't very likely, but if I did, my specialist subject would be some kind of comedy or comedian. Well lets face it if someone can win when they answered questions on episodes of Doctor Who I could go on quite legitimately with "The Life and Work of Morecambe and Wise".


I love everything about comedy. I love the laughter. The beautifully crafted writing of some, the sheer silliness of others. I'm equally happy with biting satire or groan inducing pun.


I love making people laugh and by equal turn love to be made to laugh myself. 


I also love to read about comedy, it's history, comedians lives and careers and the nuts and bolts of what makes things funny. Currently I'm reading "Born Brilliant - The Life of Kenneth Williams" and this morning with the boy we watched a Heroes of Comedy on Tony Hancock. Well I say we watched it, I glanced at it occasionally whilst reading Go, Dogs Go for the 4 millionth time and playing cars and space rockets with the boy.


Stand Up comedy is often cited as the hardest and loneliest profession there is and nothing is worse or lasts as long as the silence of an audience who just don't get it. Believe me I know. I once did a show written by aspiring local actor/comedians, myself being one of them. For three nights my stand up routine went down well but on the fourth I died on my arse! I decided then that my comic ramblings were better suited to the page than they were to the stage!


But however hard making people laugh is it's never really been acknowledged as a serious artistic genre. Whilst actors and sportsmen are lauded and awarded comedians are often over looked.


But today that all changed. Arise Sir Bruce Forsyth. Knight to see you to see you Knight!
(I can't lay claim to that gag I saw it on Twitter earlier today but that Tweet bears a repeat). It's not the most popular choice in the Random Household, particularly with Hubby as he witnessed a run in Sir Brucie had many years ago with a member of Harrods staff when Hubby worked there and has loathed the man since - not one for second chances my Hubby!)


But for me this marks a watershed in honours for humour. I always felt Ronnie Barker missed out on the knighthood he deserved as did Bob Monkhouse and of course the geniuses that were Morecambe and Wise.


So now a precedent has been set I hope it doesn't stop at the twinkling, tap dancing toes of BF (stand for something else with Hubby that does!)


So arise Sir Ronnie Corbett and Dame June Whitfield, Sir Roy Hudd, Dame Victoria Wood, Sir Eric Sykes and Sir Ken Dodd.... ah maybe not, a little locally difficulty with the Inland Revenue might have blotted his copy book, but you see where I'm going with this. 


Let's show our living legends the respect they deserve before we lose them and thank them for all the laughter, giggles and guffaws. 


Laughter is so much more than just entertainment, it's medicine, respite, escapism and joy. I know I couldn't live without it and when the boy is creased up at me playing peak-a-boo there's no more beautiful sound in the world.....

The One with the Inner Confidence - part 2

I didn't know what to expect. I'd gone along with an open mind and an eagerness to change. I figured if I didn't read up too much about what might happen I could just go with the exercises and my head and heart would feel free to embrace what might happen. Ignorance is like a delicate exotic flower, touch it and the bloom has gone! That's your actual Oscar Wilde that!

 

So basically in a state of ignorant anticipation I went to my inner confidence appointment armed with notepad, pen and diary and nothing else but a desire to feel better.

 

I only wish I bought a box of tissues too! I had completely underestimated how much emotion I would feel and display in the two and a half hour session.

 

We talked, we laughed, I cried, I felt better, I felt angry, I felt hopeful. We explored my past, present and future, my relationship with others, with work, with family, with my body and most of all with myself.

 

We did quiet visualisations where I felt calm and mediative and physical exercises where I feel hopeful and excited and stuff where we found my Inner Child and I hugged her and told her everything would be ok - just like a Mum would.

That was the one that got me crying! 

But in a good way. I was releasing anger and frustration and years of pent up emotion.

I felt a sense of freedom. And I felt confident.

That's not to say that one session will fix a lifetime of bad habits and holding onto old shit forever, so I fully intend to have some more I'm so exhilarated and enthused about the whole process, but this is a start. 

And sometimes all you need, especially when you're feeling lost,  is somewhere to start.....

 

Want to know more about Confidence Coaching with Charlotte Green. Go to http://www.gotosee.co.uk/practitioner/Inner-Confidence-for-Women-Life-Coaching-Confidence-Coaching-NLP-Ipswich-Suffolk.htm until Charlotte's re-designed website goes live in June 2011 (www.InnerConfidenceForWomen.co.uk) when you will be able to visit the website for information on coaching and NLP as well as articles and information to help you to build your confidence.

Charlotte Green - Confidence Coach
Inner Confidence for Women
"When you believe in yourself, anything is possible"

The One with the Inner Confidence - part 1

This afternoon I'm going for a session of confidence coaching.

Don't laugh! Honestly, behind this random exterior I'm not very confident.

I used to be, a long time ago, but life and motherhood has knocked it out of me. So a good friend, who is a professional confidence coach and specialises in working with women, is giving me a taster of what she can do whilst trying out some new techniques and exercises she's recently learnt.

I'm actually very excited about finding out what's inside me (apart from two bits of cake and four cups of tea)!

There's a lot talked about journey's, especially in the popular media. You can't switch on ITV without someone in tears talking about their journey, usually from everyday life straight into instant fame and back to obscurity again but not before they're gone via "I'm a Celebrity (no you're not) Get Me Out of Here" as one last ditch attempt at getting back into the public eye!

Motherhood is a proper journey, not a Simon Cowell singing contest, but it's sometimes a lonely one. Don't get me wrong you all know I love being at home with the boy but on rainy days when you're stuck indoors and all your friends are at work, with nothing but a 1 year old and CBeebies for company you can do one of two things, either go out of your mind or start to retreat back into yourself and lose the will to go out and do things for you. You don't bother putting on make up, you wear clothes but they don't match they'll just "do", after all they're only going to get dirty anyway, it's lunchtime before you realise you haven't cleaned your teeth. It's a downward spiral of "as long as the boy is clean, happy, fed and in co-ordinating clothes with matching socks" it doesn't matter about me.

But it does!

As the boy gets older I'm noticing he is much more aware of my moods. If I'm down or cry he looks worried and concerned. If I laugh, he laughs. We can't underestimate the effect a mother has on her child. If he grows up to see a Mum who isn't confident, who doesn't care about her appearance, who forgets to eat then stuffs herself with cake because it's past lunchtime now and she's starving but only has two minutes then he'll grow up not appreciating a women's worth to society, to family and mostly to herself.

So I'm doing something about it.

And you know, just making that decision has given me more confidence already. So much so I've got lipstick on!

The session is at 3pm today. I'll keep you posted......

The One with the Posh Magazines

I do love a good magazine. Now good can mean anything depending on my mood. A foodie mag, some celebrity gossip, fashion, short stories and writing or lifestyle and home.


Proper girlie escapism all of it.


The thing about a magazine is if you're feeling a bit low you can have a treat for £2 or £3 quid that doesn't contain any calories and no guilt or harm done. 


Or so I thought!


But last night I had a meal and long conversation with two great girlfriends about what is expected of women and mothers into today's society.


The pressure to "have it all" is immense, whether we want it or not. and this isn't helped when we are bombarded with not only unrealistic images of beautiful women in amazing clothes looking, slim, tanned and stylish, but unobtainable homes full of fabulous furnishings, relationship advice and really really expensive stuff that possibly the cast (and I use that term loosely) of Made In Chelsea can afford but is well out of my price league.


In one fashion magazine I read recently in their top 20 fashion must haves for the week were two handbags at £709 and £249 a pop, some ragged looking pumps that seemed ready for the dustbin at £190 and a £655 top that works "just as well with jeans as it does with a pencil skirt". For £655 I'd want it to wash, tumble dry and iron itself!


Then there's the lifestyle advice. Lemon Cake Lady gave me some of her posh magazines to peruse before they went to the recycling and it was like reading about a different world. There was an article on children toys with a play tea set made of bone china for £229! There was a survey on when you last had an orgasm (that was easy, it was in Sainsburys two weeks ago when Chocolate Mini Rolls were buy one get one free) and recipes for after work suppers with friends! Amazingly they didn't include beans on toast or calling out for a pizza!


It was like the magazine form of watching Nigella Lawson or a Richard Curtis film where everyone is impossibly glamourous, successful and live in posh parts of London with interesting and quirky friends!


Quite apart from the articles the adverts are just as bad. If J-Lo is to be believed as a successful working mum she can wear a pristine white towel and shave her legs in her enormous walk in shower , then run on the beach with her twins, wrapped in a cashmere sweater and bikini bottoms then put on a sparkly dress and sing at a pop concert all because her brand of razor makes her a goddess. Yeah that's an average day for me in the Random Household. I do that all the time. Well I would if I ever got time to shave my legs! It's been so long I'm expecting Springwatch to call any day to ask to do a feature on the family of Starlings that have nested in my leg hair!


If I ever do get round to doing them I'll no doubt be disturbed by either Oscar wanting to be let in or out of the house, the boy wanting me to read Go Dogs Go for the millionth time or hubby needing to come in a use the loo! 


So all in all if women's magazines are to be believed we should all have successful careers and float about in expensive clothes by designers no one's ever heard of whilst playing tea parties with our beautiful, well behaved children on the beach and cook gourmet meals for friends whilst shaving our legs and having multiple orgasms.


No problems. As long as that all translates into working in a normal office in a £4 top and £12 trousers from the supermarket that have dribble, snot and sweet potato on them then coming home to the boy who is more excited to see my car keys than he is me and cook fish fingers and beans for tea standing in the kitchen with my hairy legs that have wildlife in them and going to bed so exhausted you're too tired to even say orgasm let alone have one!


If that's the case then I don't know how these magazines sell because having it all is a doddle......

The One with the One Year Anniversary

Well I've been blogging for exactly a year today!

Something that was started on a whim while the boy had a nap has now become a big part of my life and, the last few weeks aside where I haven't been on line due to a combination of illnesses, decorating and holiday, I have come to love my weekly or even daily random rambles to you all, all over the world,

When I started I didn't know if anyone would read it, let alone respond, but now I have followers and people regularly tune in as it were, I belong to blogging sites to promote my work and I've even ventured into the tweeting world of Twitter. I've made friends and found support in tough times and laughs in good times.

My blog has become my outlet for creative juices, rants, raves and of course randomness!

So as I sit here, watching Britain's Got Talent (not this year it hasn't!), with a gin and tonic and Oscar curled up beside me I'm reflecting on my first year of blogging.

It was always my intention to talk about being a mother at 40 and that's pretty much what I've done, after all that is pretty much the main focus of my life and therefore my blog but I hope on the way I've made you laugh or maybe even cry sometimes.

So now I'm embarking on my second year of blogging as a 41 year mum and I hope to keep you all my loyal readers and gain many more.

I'll try to keep it exciting, funny and most of all random....