Life as a Goth Mum

A goth in trainers, running!!!

2009-05-02T21:31:00.004+01:00

A hugely unflattering picture but as I have previously mentioned I am pregnant, tired, hungry and in a lot of pain.

We walked the race for life today (with a little bit of running at the end) for my God-father Grahame who passed away and my friend Bear who is winning his battle. It was a great day and the atmosphere was great. I had to stop reading everyone's back labels about who they were running for as I kept wanting to cry. I would love to raise loads of money, so would be really grateful if you would sponsor me. Anything you can afford would be so gratefully recieved. Just click on the link below to donate.

Thank you

WOO HOO I'm growing another gothling!!!

2009-05-02T21:00:00.003+01:00

That's right folks I'm pregnant again. 12 weeks now. I had a scan on Thursday and there is definitely a baby in there (and only 1 thank the Goddess).

So far I have been feeling sick, exhausted and my boobs are huge and very sore. To top it all my back is playing up and I can't take my horse pills (much much pain). If I didn't know I was geeting such a big prize at the end of it (well in mid November) I would be fairly pissed off already.

Tomorrow I'm going to buy some sensible shoes and some work clothes that will be comfy and glam. Hmmm, Appatemyly Blooming Marvelous is having a sale.

More later, on other things.

I've been a little absent...

2009-04-07T22:33:00.001+01:00

My humble apologies, all will become clearer later (in about a month). For now a little something from a Twitter friend. Enjoy.

Everyday is silent and grey

2009-03-01T20:18:00.003Z

I have been to Gt Yarmouth. It is March! Everytime I go to Yarmouth in the winter I can't stop hearing The Smith's 'Everyday is like Sunday' So I thought I would share it to you. One is a live performace and the second is the original video, but the YouTube police have taken off the audio (Duh!)

We went because Little Miss made a special request to go to the pool with the waves and slide. One of her bigger friends had been on the slide last time (in the summer) she had been with TheAngel. So she wanted to too, and she did, about 150 times, with me! She is too small for me to let her out of my sight so where she went so did I. Unfortunately the wave machine wasn't working, neither were the gents showers or the gents loo and I have so say, nice though the pool and changing facilities were a bit shabby.

The final straw came whe we waked out and I saw a HUGE poster advertising £600 for your tales of sexual woe, weight loss or other emotional trauma for those women's weekly magazines. Yes, people really do make money from people's trauma!

Making another Gothling

2009-02-24T21:41:00.002Z

Yes, that's right folks. We're trying for a baby. I can hear many of my friends whooping with delight as they read this as they ganged up on me late last year as told me money was not a good enough reason for not having a baby.

There is still one problem. Mechanical contraception has been been taken out of the equation (with a pair of pliers longer than my arm!!!!!) but there is still the small noisy one who likes to get into bed with Mummy & Daddy of a morning. Mostly I fall asleep before my head hits the pillow (too much work makes Goth Mum sleeeeeepy) but we have a standing offer of sleep overs and I really will stop working quite so much one day (maybe after the new PCs are in, or our big inspection is over, or the whole new curriculum I have to develop, or the new classrooms we are going to have to move into or the .... oops)

Anyhoo I will keep you all updated.

Here Be Dragons...

2009-02-21T19:28:00.005Z

Goth Dad took Little Miss and me to lunch today and then we went to the appointed place to see some Chinese Dragon dancing. IT WAS FANTASTIC as I hope you can see from the videos attached. These were taken on my phone so the quality isn't too good (sorry). Goth Dad grew up in the far east so is used to stuff like this but it was all new to me and I LOVED IT.

This was all part of the Norwich Dragon Festival. Norwich has a huge history of Dragons from Snap to the brilliant Dragon Hall and not forgetting the Norwich Beer Festival OK, so I had a great day but pizza has just arrived.

Ciao

Mathmatical Music

2009-01-30T22:41:00.000Z

Not much to say about this. It combines two of my obsessions, music and math. Go figure LOL.

Quote of the day:

2009-01-21T20:43:00.001Z

"Whatever you give a woman, she will make it greater. If you give her sperm, she'll give you a baby. If you give her a house, she'll give you a home. If you give her groceries, she'll give you a meal. If you give her a smile, she'll give you her heart. She multiplies and enlarges what is given to her. So, if you give her any crap, be ready to receive a ton of shit."

Manners maketh the Gothling

2009-01-13T21:29:00.003Z

I read this in my trawl of the net. I thought it was very interesting and certainly fits in with how we are trying to raise Little Miss.

Elasticated trousers

2009-01-02T23:04:00.004Z

I bought Little Miss a pair of skinny jeans from Next for Christmas and they had an adjustable waistband, she is very skinny and these jeans had a lot of give in the belly region.

I am pear shaped and could really do with trousers that I could just pull in a bit at the waist. Little Miss' trousers don't look like they have an elasticated waist, they just nip in nicely.

Why can't I have them too?????

A little something I made earlier

2009-01-02T22:32:00.003Z

As many of you are aware I've been teaching music production to my boys at work. It's had mixed success (as most things do in my line of work) and the institutional constraints are really exacerbated but I have had some real successes, some excellent engagement and it has sparked my creativity.

Much kudos has to go to my co-tutor on the other half of the course for his superior musical skills and experience and for his endless energy (cheers J) and we have managed a good handful of completed portfolios by the end of the year. First job back next week is to process them.

So, not only have my boys been doing fantastic things, but I have produced some half decent bits and pieces too. I've put some of them onto MySpace
if you want to have a listen. The little voice on the Christmas thing is Little Miss.

My Little Slave

2008-12-31T22:00:00.002Z

This is really a private post for Auntie H to show Nana the gift she bought Little Miss, but I thought I'd share. I know this will not last and in 10 years I will have to scream at her to pick up a plate, but for now I will enjoy...

Happy New Year

Hugs x

Get ready for 2009

2008-12-29T21:03:00.002Z

Right then. The only way to survive in this nightmare chaos that is being a working fabulous Mum is to GET ORGANISED!!!

Every day in our house is a well planned military operation (now stop laughing at the back, it is honestly), it has to be, with both of us working and little Miss having to get to Nursery and our Angel. Add in to this is Goth Dad's dyslexia time wandering, my last minute faffing and Little Miss' frequent refusal to put on clothes and you have a recipe for disaster if we don't get organised.

So the reason for this post is to evangelise the use of a family calendar. No more will I get confused about when that birthday party is or when Goth Dad had arranged to go out for that well earned drink.

So I would like to encourage you all to get a calendar and get organised.

OMG Where has the last month gone?

2008-12-29T20:32:00.004Z

OK, so December is nearly over and Christmas is well and truly done so wow another year nearly over.

I generally think that Christmas is a success if no-one packs and leaves home on Christmas day so this year went with a huge bang. We had some friends over for Christmas lunch and apart from the 4 month old baby being a bit grumpy, everything went very well. I drank far too much bubbly and fell asleep on Goth Dad at 11pm trying to watch a DVD.

I always stress too much in the preparation and then it's all over in a flash. Next year I will be starting my preparations a whole lot earlier and trying hard not to stress as much.

So this year's presents were lovely, we got cash from our parents and with a bit of savings bought ourselves a new TV (Sony Bravia LCD - YUMMM). Little Miss got many much and her favourite are currently a carage with cars to zoom around and a Sportucus dress up outfit. Really I do have a daughter!!!

Today we were having a serious conversation (well as much as you can with a 3 yr old) about whether she would be a firefighter when she grows up or a swordfighting actor / stunt performer. She really wanted to be a knight, go figure!

Positive pressure

2008-12-12T22:29:00.004Z

Goth dad & I have been thinking about expanding the household. Now, we are thinking about a foreign black kitten to replace our beloved LuLu who passed earlier this year. But we are also thinking about another baby. Initial thought were that we would be evicted if I had to stop work for 6 months to have another baby (my employer only offers SMP) but everyone we talk to say DO IT! DON'T WAIT, and we have really talked ourselves around to the idea. More news as it happens. XXX

(what am I getting myself into!??!??!??!)

Home Dye, is it worth it?

2008-12-12T22:09:00.005Z

I've just dyed my hair at home. It's something I've done for years and I've got quite good at it. My bathroom did resemble the end of Carrie an hour ago but it's all clean now and I have red black hair. It actually looks quite a lot like it does on teh packet, which is encouraging.

i thought I'd have a bit of a change from the blue black that I have been for the last (stone me) nearly 10 years on and off. I did have a brief faray into cyber purple but it faded to auburn very quickly so I didn't try that again.

So I'm hoping that this stays true for a few months as I really can't organise myself to do this kind of thing too often.

I was thinking; as I sat with a plastic bag over my head, was it worth it to save £25. Should I just get my hair done at the salon like normal people. But then i thought that £25 was nearly a half term's worth of Gym classes for little Miss, so I decided that home dying would be here to stay.

By the way, this isn't a blatent Schwartzkopf advert. It's just that I haven't found any other hair dye that stays in my hair.

Bettie Page RIP

2008-12-12T20:57:00.002Z

I am saddened to discover (but not hugely surprised, she was 85) that Bettie Page died yesterday.

Here is a bit of naughty bondage Bettie...

And a sweeter side of Bettie...

I had been wondering what to wear for my works party tomorrow, but now I know. i will be Bettied up to the eyeballs.

Bettie Page has long been an icon of mine of glamourous femininity without conformity. Today I am a sad Goth Mum.

Miss Naked Beauty 2008 was nearly a GOTH!!!!!

2008-11-28T21:29:00.004Z

I have been watching Gok Wan's Miss naked Beauty for the last 6 weeks and Goth dad and myself have been cheering on the very lovely Dawn (pictured); 6 ft 2 of Glaswegian Bolshiness. We really couldn't believe it but she kept going through to the next round.

In the end she was beaten by Shona (pictured below) by 7 votes and we didn't mind because Shone is also lovely, but very much smaller and more celtic.

It is great to see Gok doing this series, looking at how women see themselves and how each of us can be beautiful without a whole heap of slap (not that I don't love the slap given the chance), and it has been great to see such a wide range of women being shown to us on prime TV as beautiful, desirable women who are all passionate about the female form.

So to all my lovely lady readers...

YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL, if you believe this and own this the world is your oyster.

Positive neglect - a parenting position

2008-11-16T21:54:00.002Z

I just read this and found that I was blessed, as they put it, by being ignored by my mother. My brother & I used to amble out of the back door to go and play out and come back when we were hungry, or it got dark whichever came first.

I try very hard to ignore Little Miss as often as possible, while still of course listening to her every move; she is only 3, and she is a stuborn, strong minded little madam. Excellent, just what I have been working for.

Shopping Paradise

2008-11-12T22:11:00.004Z

I've been building an Amazon Store. Please support this blog if you can and treat yourself to a fab goth present.

OK, I know there isn't much in there now but give me a coupel of days....

Radio 6 music saved my sanity

2008-11-11T21:49:00.004Z

Compare these two track listings

Duffy - Rain On Your Parade
Gabriella Cilmi - Sanctuary
Girls Aloud - The Promise
James Blunt - Love, Love, Love
Jennifer Hudson - Spotlight
Jordin Sparks - Tattoo
Jordin Sparks feat. Chris Brown - No Air
Katy Perry - I Kissed A Girl
Lemar - If She Knew
Leona Lewis feat. Akon - Forgive Me

The Cranberries - Zombie
Soup Dragons - I'm Free
This Mortal Coil - Song To The Siren
Incubus - Are You In?
Siouxsie And The Banshees - Christine
Fall - There's A Ghost In My House
Ladyhawke - My Delirium
David Bowie - The Laughing Gnome
Metallica - Enter Sandman

On of these would make me insane and not nice to be around. One helped me do a huge pile of washing up on a Sunday morning and put a big ole smile on my face. The first is from my local radio station's playlist ARGHHHHH!! the second Radio 6 music. Oh how I love my Digital radio.

goth eye makup

2008-11-05T20:25:00.000Z

As a Corporate Goth girl I have to say that my eye makeup is a key part of my look and my identity. Obviously when I go to work I don't wear quite as much makeup as some of these lovely ladies but this little smudge (below) is pretty close to what I try to get going at 7am most mornings.

It's fairly normal (if a little biased towards grey and purple) except for the black eyeliner which MUST by heavy and smudged. In a black suit with boots and some simple silver jewellery, all complete with dark eyes and a bit of lip gloss, there really isn't too much doubt that 'Miss' is a bit of a wierdo.

This is the lovely AndromedaX who is this gorgeous at 7am on a Wednesday morning and 1am on a Saturday night.

I would like to point out that she doesn't go to work looking like this (bit of a shame really, but no one would ever get to work on time if we had to slap on all the war paint every morning) but still manages to look very goth without looking like the dolly girl below.

So, I guess the key point to this post is that if you can give a girl black eyeliner she will either hang herself and end up looking like a macabre clown, or she will make it her own and remain a Glam Goth Goddess, no matter how modest or corporately she needs to dress.

Party, Party, Party

2008-10-26T20:48:00.002Z

So, we got invited to a party. Friends of ours are going to Thailand for 6 months and will miss Christmas and Halloween, so they are going out with a bang. The invitation said children welcome so we took along Little Miss. It was a Friday night so we asked the Angel to try and get her to nap in the afternoon; fat chance. She didn't sleep in the car on the way over and ran around the house in her Halloween costume until 9pm. Then she curled up on a sofa with us and fell asleep! Yay! Then we could enjoy ourselves until it was time to pick up the bundle and got back into the car.

It was really nice to catch up with friends, and spend some grown up time with Goth Dad, I also did some singing of Christmas Carols and general Haloween chanting.

New glasses for Goth Mum

2008-10-22T20:37:00.003+01:00

I’ve just found a new way to buy a new pair of glasses. Previously I have had to get rid of the small person for an hour or so to enable me to get into town and pick a new pair of glasses, then trog into town all over again to pick them up. Now I have found Zenni Optical who has excellent value eyeglassesto any prescription MAIL ORDER!

I particularly like these glasses which will cost me $35 and with the exchange rate as it is that is less than £22!!!! I have never seen glasses that cheap in any store.

I think they are very quirky, the detail on the arms is lovely and nothing like the ones I had a choice of last time I needed to change my prescription.

The range is huge from $8 to some really funky cutting edge stuff up to around $45.

Their edge is that they manufacture their own frames and only sell direct to us. They do all the usual extras that you would expect; bifocal, tinted, photochromic and anti reflection. Anti scratch and UV coating are free and they ship worldwide.

I also found this article from the Chicago tribune, it’s, obviously, a bit US-centric but the sentiment holds.

Happy Birthday Goth Dad - Pt 2 The present

2008-10-06T21:33:00.002+01:00

This is an RC Vamp. It is very cool and Goth Dad has been flying it around the green outside the house. He has been dive bombing Little Miss who has been screaming with laughter and running away, fast enough not to get hit but slow enough to let Daddy keep up. It was so funny to watch.

There is an eternal question about what to get Goth Dad as a gift. Luckily he keeps a list of things that take his fancy. I love Amazon wish lists.