That's me...

...I'm THAT mother. That one with the son who gets amongst other children and loses control. That mother with a boy who hits, throws stones and blows raspberries in faces. I'm that mother who couldn't care less...
Pah! Cough. Splutter. Pah again! I don't know any mother who willingly allows their child to behave in such a way. I don't know of any mother who teaches or encourages this kind of utter yuck. If it was your baby, how would you feel?
I'm THAT mother and I don't like it. How did I even get here?
I am another kind of mother, too.
I'm the kind of mother leaving the playground hiding my tears. I'm the mother laying awake at night worrying about what will happen to my sweet baby boy when he starts kinder, then school. I'm the mother paralyzed by self blame. I'm also the mother trying everything in my bag of tricks to reach a boy who is so very challenging.
I am also a mother filled with pride. I swell with it when my little boy, all on his own, willingly helps a friend, his Nanna or the lady in the shop. I do that soppy "he's my boy" smile when he gives away his toys to his little sister, or shares his hard earned Kinder Surprise with her. I smother him in impromptu cuddles as he picks rogue nature strip daisies on our walks and presents each one to me saying "this is for you, Mum".
I gushingly (and probably irritatingly) recount how my boy can recognise numbers and letters and he knows that a square cut in half makes two triangles. He can add up his razoo tally in his head, and spend it at the box shop, carefully calculating every last one. And I can't help but quietly snigger as he sprouts "Golly gosh, isn't it hot. I rather think we should have an ice cream, don't you?" (Too many Mog, Thomas and Richard Scarry books?! I hope so.)
Just yesterday I had to stifle a giggle when I finally undstood his concern about a friend holidaying in Queensland and the risk of "unicyclers". Upon the drop of the penny, I told him he needn't worry about cyclones, they are very uncommon.
He's my train obsessed, story loving, super helping, very bright boy and he drives me round the twist daily. But, I really, really want him to grow into a wonderful person.
So we read and read together, craft together, spend hours in the garden and share lots of cuddles. He knows how important his manners are, he dresses himself, cleans up after himself and helps around the house.
He also suffers from chronic frustration and loses self control really easily. The hard part is teaching him how to handle it.
I've always cared so very much about behaving the right way in the right situation, myself. I was the shy kid who never lost control and never got into trouble. I wanted to please everyone. So, am I out of my depth?? Hell yes. But hand me a snorkel and I'll survive it.
He's not a pleaser, my boy, and a sheep he is not. He walks to the beat of his own drum and that makes me proud (and crazy!). I'll keep working on him and I'll keep taking the blame on my shoulders, but please, other mothers, I'm doing my best just like you. Only I got handed the kid with difficulty level 800. And one day, so might you!



Is it any wonder I seek a creative retreat?
Right now I am smack in the middle of market mayhem. I've just done Sugar and Spice Children's Market, which is one of my favorites and the week previously I trundled out to Daylesford for the makers market. Which was my first market way back when, and feels like home. I'm back there in a couple of weeks on the 27th of November and again for their very festive twilight number on the 10th of December. Buninyong Makers Market happens to be earlier in that day, so frantic I shall be!
Just for the Christmas rush I've brought out three new products with some others still begging me for some quality time in order to come to fruition. The pic above features a special Christmas-crafty, make your own bauble kit. I can vouch for the fun factor because I've made one myself!

Then there's this caravan christmas card bundle, containing five different hand drawn cards and envelopes...


And the long awaited, ABC colouring cards. I'm very pleased with these and so is my Mum who coloured almost a whole set while helping me at the last market. According to her, great occupational therapy!



So, now you know what I've been doing and where I'll be, I hope to see you all at one, two or three of my upcoming markets!
By the way, if anyone needs to get in touch with me about products, my blog or this unpredictable weather for that matter, just send me a message via my Facebook page. There's a button on the top left of the blog especially for poking!