It attracted many comments, all of whom seemed to agree with her that the schools (and the Church) are stupid and ignorant for doing so. Even someone who proclaimed that he’s Catholic.

To me, it is a very clear-cut issue. Why condone something that you know is not good for someone?

When my darling toddler comes of age, I would teach her about the birds and bees, and the various methods of contraception, but I wouldn’t teach her how to use a condom (or how to use all other methods for that matter) because that’s basically telling her that “K, I think at the end of the day, you’ll still engage in premarital sex, so here’s what you can do to avoid an unwanted pregnancy/ STDs etc”. Isn’t that setting her up for failure from the start?

The point is to understand why premarital sex should be avoided, so that she doesn’t even need to bother knowing about how each method works. Remaining celibate is a high order in this day and age, and she will be a salmon frantically swimming upstream against the flow, but the rewards will be great.

I pray she’ll have the strength and courage.

WMMHT: K running with sheer delight towards the playground, anticipating the fun she’d have. Pure joy for me.

His writing never fails to surprise me in what I see as an intimate knowledge of my deepest thoughts and feelings. It is as if he is in my head, and verbalising what I cannot or will not.

While reading The Zahir today, a particular line, out of many others, resonated. In a scene between the protagonist and his wife, where he wanted to leave her and then changed his mind the next day when his troubles seemed somewhat soothed, she told him that “this scenario will simply keep recurring as long as (he) refuse to risk everything for what (he) believe to be (his) real reason for living”. ‘This scenario’ referring to his one-step-forward-two-steps-back half-heartedness.

I paused to reflect on my regular moments of wanting to take flight, periods where I am filled with a sense of disenchantment with my life and wonder what else is out there. I want to run away, far beyond the invisible but steely reach of commitments. Then I do something or chance upon an outlet that helps me make feel better, and I plod along again because I think that I’ve found the magic antidote to the malaise that plagues me ever so often. Yet it comes right back after a while – a few weeks, sometimes a couple of months or even more than a year later.

Maybe that line is a hint to what can help.

Do I know my raison d’etre is?

Do I have the courage to pursue it?

And my WMMHT for the day:

Sweet popcorn while at the movies. Caught The Little Fockers with C today, and indulged in popcorn. Oh it’s good. I likee.

Tonight was one of those times when I felt like a bad mom. I’m not the most patient, so when repeated attempts to soothe/comfort/cajole failed, I started scolding. And when even that didn’t work, I shouted so very loudly at her that she screamed even louder in protest at such harsh treatment. It didn’t help that C came home rather late tonight; so when he did reach home, I let loose with my frustration by slamming the door and whatever else I could get my hands on. Of course, that didn’t help to calm K down either.

So it was a bad night. I feel gross at my lack of self-control. I said sorry to K as I carried her in the aftermath; I hope she understood.

It’s tough to find a WMMHT moment, but I suppose it’s the fun I had in class with my new students today. Interesting motley crew, all boys, but most with a good attitude. So I’m thankful.

1. have cooking facilities

2. have a cot

3. be child-friendly

and still be pretty, centrally-located and affordable.

Which is a tall order. Or so it seems for where we’re going. Very strange.

Looking for accommodation on previous trips used to be a highlight because I’d go straight for the quirky and whimsical places. Now, everything seems to be off-limits.

So the search continues.

And in continuing with my WMMHT ditty: tickling K and hearing her laugh with such deep happiness and pure joy, the kind that is so infectious it makes me laugh right along – and do what I did again and again so I can keep hearing her laugh. :p

Oh it was mmm mmm good…

I’m happy.

C and I had just put K back into her cot after a milk feed, when in the darkness, a wee voice cried out in a most melodramatic manner: “Pooting (referring to her pacifier), please! Pooting, please!”

We had to fight to stop from laughing out loud. Even in her distress, she remembered to be polite! How cute!

I fritter my time away. I’m a fritterer.

It’s terrible. Every night after The Baby goes to bed, I settle down at my work area, filled with great enthusiasm and resolution to complete the items on my to-do list. Complete that article in time for the client’s deadline. Craft curriculum for a workshop. Clear my storeroom. Read the dangerously-leaning tower of books.

Then I launch my Mozilla. And it’s suddenly “Plans? Oh that thing. No worries. I have the whole night ahead of me. I’ll just spend 10 minutes checking my email and Facebook updates, then zip over to my list.”

10 minutes pass. “I can still spare a little more time. Let’s make it 20 more minutes, and I’ll definitely stop.”

Before I realise, it’s been 1 1/2hours. I feel exhausted from all that random web surfing (though really, there’re so many interesting things to read up on!), disappointed that I didn’t stick to my plan, and irritated at myself for having wasted that precious time AGAIN.

So I say, tomorrow. Tomorrow I will stick to my plan.

Right.

….

We all try our best. It’s in the trying that character is refined.

So keep trying, everyone.

… romance.

… adventure.

… a taste of God.

Quite remarkable.

I bought a ‘vintage’ pink bicycle that looks like this. (photo taken from Gabrielle Kai’s Etsy page)

Gabrielle Kai's Pink Bicycle photo

It was delivered last night, and I had a go at it tonight while The Hubs put The Baby to bed.

What a restful moment of solitude it was!

Now all I need is a charming wicker basket. A utilitarian black metal basket sits on the front now. Or maybe I should sew a pretty fabric cover for it instead.

Mmm.

So since the last post, a baby has been born, a resignation happened and I’m now a happy and very busy mom of a 15-month-old, an adjunct communications lecturer and an owner of a newly-minted boutique communications consultancy.

Woa.

Is there a time for everything? Yes.

And a reason? Definitely.

Yet do we still fret and worry and try to hurry everything along? You bet.

Mmh.

Us silly people.

So to start on a clean slate for this new phase in life, and to make space for the addition to the family, it’s time to start paring down. Clean out the storeroom. Throw things away. I’ll probably try to Ebay stuff off because quite a lot of things are either new or still in very good condition. That’ll get me some moolah to add to the baby fund.

Ebay. My good ol’ friend. I just hope I don’t end up shopping online instead of selling things off!