Reminder: Mummy needs a break

Today's reminder it's so obvious.

Everywhere you look you can see tired mummies. You've seen her in the supermarket: she's red from sweat, pushing the car shaped huge shopping cart with two or more toddlers stuffed in it, wearing her winter coat only by one sleeve trying to lower her body temperature, thinking "only 121 items to find, 25 minutes in the cashier line and THEN we're out in the parking lot so I can gasp some fresh air..Pull it together, you can do it woman!" Then, you can see one of the kids getting excited by the toy department "Mum-my? stop! I want to check some new Braz-dolls, I want a one with the snowboard now..MUMMY! Stop! Can I look..Muuum!" Mummy has only one obvious answer: "No you CAN'T! Now sit still so we can still consider that lollypop!" People around her look at the mother disapprovingly. Then they look adorable little angels with compassion: "Poor children!" C'mon people, where's the mercy? How about "poor mother" ?

Ok, this was an extreme example. Or was it? Haven't we all seen her and after judging on how she raises her children thought: oh why doesn't she take care of herself? A little make up would definetely do her some good and how about those out faded highlights in her hair, when did she got them - to celebrate the Millenium? I can tell you, she doesn't have the time. I only have one child and when he's napping it's MY time and I'm not wasting it on planning how I would look more trendy tomorrow on my agenda of visiting the post office and buying more catfood from the vet. If and when the little angel falls a sleep, I ran in my pyjama trousers and woolysocks to kitchen to make a fresh pot of coffee and then sit down with today's paper or surf the internet. If I'm lucky, I'll be able to prepare and eat entire sandwich (one, let's not get greedy) , drink a cup of coffee, read the headlines quickly and sometimes even write an email to my friend. Then my time is usually up, and I've got used to ending my emails: "Ok, he's awake- gotta go now!" If I have the need to refresh my look, I'll do it while he's awake so it's usually pretty quick one. For some reason the 8 month older's don't have the patience to witness 10-step perfect makeup and 45 minutes of hair straightening. No matter how you try to keep him happy, making faces and a real show out of your time: "LOOOOK, mummy is using the eyeshadow now! woow, isn't that exciting!"

Where was I? Oops, I'm definately losing my point here. It was about a break for mummy. She needs it. A good one, few hours a week at least. Preferably entire day once in a while! Trust me, she won't ran away. She loves to come home after it, and the best part: has had a chance of missing her family and feels a lot happier coming back to them. And too be equal: daddy needs a break too, this way he's more than happy to spend quality time with the offspring while mum's shopping or enjoying her spa treatments - because he knows tomorrow it's his turn to relax, maybe over a pint and soccer game perhaps. I'm lucky one, because usually I can get a break when I need it. Some clear signs tell me the break should be applied from the daddy / grandmum committee very soon. For example, I notice myself "calming down" an empty shopping cart pulling it back and forth or babytalking "ooopsy-daisy" to little mister vacuum cleaner while lifting "him" from the closet. IF I ever have more children, don't even think I'm going to drag them all with me to a supermarket. No, maybe one by one if they're behiving nice so they learn to appreciate it. Don't judge me, a regular break makes me a better mum. And I might even have the time to keep my hair color updated.

Reminder: There's nothing real about the real estate business

Remember! read "aparment for sale" between the lines

"Clean" is used to describe the place when there's no other good words to use. It means the place is a rat hole but there's no any actual garbage to be picked up on their yellow, plastic floor. "Wow, let's take this one honey, it's already hoovered!" Think about it: who would use the word "clean" to sell an amazing mansion? It's pretty obvious you don't have to step on any broken class or take out the waste paper on your first day in your new home. So, stay away from too underlined "clean" apartments. The same rule applies adds with terms like "ok condition", "carpenter's dream", safe living in one floor", "amazing, colorful athomosphere" or "nice doors in the living room" (this is no fake, I actually saw an add selling the place highlighting the doors, also the only published photo was about the famous entrance to living room)

Obviously price is another thing. Listen and repeat: if it's cheap, there's a reason for it. The place is A. a rat hole, B. Waaaay outside the periphery, you'll see more cows on your way to work than traffic lights. And while the broker starts to drool when he notices you buying into his romantic illusion of "fresh country air, drinking your morning coffee on the portch watching a squirrel making a nest for it's babies...", you really don't want to wake up 4.30 AM to get to work on time. In the long run it can get pretty sad taking your steaming cup out in the pitch-dark, freezing porch, after three hours of sleep, just to notice there's 25 cm of snow on the ground and nobody has ploughed the drive way to main road . And there'll be no any squirrels awake yet that time my friend.

So keep your head cold in apartment hunting! And when finding that dream place of yours, keep your first offer even colder because there are a lot of greedy sellers out there (I know because I'm one of them, € -signs in my eyes almost made all the potential buyers vanish) AND even greedier brokers! The minute you consider making an offer, they are already speed-dialing their travel agency for a nice little vacation with their profit...From YOUR pocket! ;)

First note on the fridge: Remember to write your blog

Here it is, my first note on my electric fridge door!

I'm one of those people who need several minders, notes and post-it's to survive everyday life. "Remember to go to bed early", "feed the cats", "call mum"..Simple things to do, notes on my fridge door - or more often my cell phone as we're living in the modern world. But as my notes become more longer, more several, more about life itself (remember to get proper education if you want a proper career, or if it's too late, remember to warn younger generations about the sidecome of going to school which is the most sensible choice but not really "You") I need more space. And what's better than the cyber space with it's endless, huge white fridge door? It's never full! Aah, I love my new "tabula rasa" already.

So what do I do now? First note: REMIND to actually fill my blog with my notes and life lessons which I claim to have so much. Otherwise this will be one of those crappy blogs which are started with "all high and mighty" -attitude but not updated after couple of weeks as the blogger got already bored with it and has found another trend..hot yoga classes perhaps? (more pressure to really practise as I preach now, otherwise this will look really embarassing..)

Finally, why do I write in English although my native language is Finnish? I'll give you an example (at least possible Finnish readers will see the dilemma): How do you say "Frankly dear, I really couldn't give a damn" better in any other language than English? Sorry, it's gotta be the mother lingo of all the best phrases. Sure, there is and will be several typo's and too long sentances but as it's my fridge door I can do what I want with it.
Another reason is my time spent apart from world where I could hear and practise my English. I'm on materinity leave with our adorable little boy..But I don't care too much about the term "housewife", eew.

Till the next reminder! (if I remember to write this blog)