Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Small People, Big Issues

Tonight, the boy and I began "the talk."  You know, the conversation that a lot of parents dread, yet know they will have to have someday?  Yes, THAT talk.  I knew it was coming, and yes, I'm pretty sure that I've been fearing it since he learned to talk.
  So, tonight it happened, and you know what? It wasn't that bad. In fact, it happened so organically that I don't even think I realized it was happening until it was over!  That's always been a fear of mine... how will I ever know how far to take the conversation?  What if I screw up?    Anyone who knows me knows that I'm fairly neurotic, so it should really come as no surprise that I've been worrying for years about having this subject come up.


I can't even remember what we were talking about, to be honest.  Somehow though, the conversation turned to the cats.  The boy seemed very concerned about the cats, and whether they were adults or still kittens.  Now, I am not sure why he was concerned, but he was.  Then he started asking about a cat we used to have, our beloved cat Fuzzby, and he said he thought maybe the cats we have now were still kittens, because they were nowhere near as large as he was.  So, I explained that Fuzzby was just a really big cat.


This answer didn't seem to satisfy him, and he wondered why he was so big.  I told him that sometimes, when cats get neutered, they get fat.  I went on to tell him that you get your boy cats neutered so they don't make any babies.  And I'm pretty sure this is where the conversation went off the rails.  And how.


Now, anyone who knows us knows the boy shares my flair for the dramatic, and in that fashion, he sits straight up and says, "OH.MY.GOD. BOYS MAKE BABIES TOOO?!?!"  I let him digest that for a moment and confirm that yes, it takes a girl AND a boy to make a baby.  And he looks at me, and I'm wondering if I should go farther or leave it there for now, but he just says, "Ok, so a boy gets with a girl and they make a baby together. Ok."  And that was pretty much it.  Conversation started.


I'm quite pleased with how it turned out, and now that it's begun, I think any further discussion will be easier, because we've laid a bit of ground work.  I plan to be honest about it, because I think a lot of times, in an effort to protect our kids, we tend to underestimate how smart they really are and how much they can handle.  I've learned, to that they'll let you know when they've heard enough.  


Ah, the joys of parenthood.  Best.Job.Ever.





Monday, September 19, 2011

Falling in Love... with Fall

Good morning, all!


It's that time of year again.  Fall has arrived (well, almost).  The leaves are changing colour and falling from the trees, the bulk of the summer heat has left us, and the days are getting shorter.  


While weather-wise, I will admit, I am not a fan of fall, I have to say that I see it's appeal.  The colours around us are so dynamic and the leaves on the ground, if raked into a pile, lead to endless fun for  the kiddies.


This time of year is great too, because the routine returns to our lives.  The kids have gone back to school, and while we can't just pick up and go any more, it is good to be back to "the grind."  As much as I adore the freedom that summer brings, I will admit that I do so much better when I have a routine.  I would really like to believe that I am awesomely self motivated, and I guess I am to a certain extent, but I really do need deadlines, and fall is good for that.


Fall is also a time of new beginnings.  New scenery, new friends, new opportunities.  To that end, I have chosen the fall to start a few new projects.  As you all may know, I have been working at improving my photography skills,  since I have discovered that is a huge passion of mine.  In the next little while, I will be opening a web store to showcase some of my work.  I hope to have it open in the next day or two, and I hope you like it.  In the long run, I want to have my own photography website, but I am starting small for now.


I also plan on overhauling my blogs in the hopes of getting them "out there" a little bit more.  I don't plan on making huge changes, but rather little tweaks here and there.  I'm going to make more effort to update them regularly and market them more effectively, as I would really like the freedom to work outside the home less, and in the home more.  I want to have the freedom to live comfortably and work hard, while still being here to be with my child.  I think that the time I've had off has taught me a lot about my priorities.


Right now though, I am on the hunt for an outside job in a field that is completely new to me.  I know that I can't physically do the work I was doing, and so I have re-done my resume to reflect my desire to do something that both challenges and inspires me.  For the first time in my life, I am actually excited about the direction in which things are headed. 


What about you?  How do you feel about this time of year?  Are you a fall lover?  What    are your plans for the coming season?  Leave me a comment below!


Cheers,
Tara