hypocrites are well alive

In our so called civilized society, we are told women are equals to men and they can have a career and a family. In the fact, this is a lie. A big fat lie. I myself experienced this no later than this week. And it is a terrible feeling.
When the childcare options came to discussion, we had three possibilities.

• Not going back to work. But being a housewife has never been my dream and we can't afford that anyway.
• Going part full time but the £200/week nuseries is way too much
• Going back part time which seemed the best solution.

So I asked for a part time. I was lucky enough to have a positive answer. I work 3 days per week and I am at home with my girl the rest of the time.
It is a good balance and I don't miss my little girl's life. I work which I enjoy.

The society tells women they can work and have a family. But nuserseies cost an avarage of £200/week, it is way to expensive. Also, it is really hard to find availibilities in nurseries. Also the time table. It is usually open from 7:30 to 6. I have to be at work at 8. I leave home at 7. I can't bring her there. My husband works on flexi so he can drive her in the morning.
The truth is woman has to choose. Or the choice is made for them.

I had a violent reality check this week.

Three weeks ago, one of my co-worker with a better position quit. I immediatly say I wanted to apply for this position because I have done the job before and I really wanted it.
I talk to my team lead. When the schedule issue came on the table, I clearly said that full time was not possible at my hand. I was told I could apply anyway.

I had the interview with this rude girl. And then nothing. I waited. In the meantime, another person with the same position quit as well.
After 2 weeks of waiting and seeing people getting interview for the job, I was told I could not get the job because I am not full time.
After a discussion with a co worker, it became obvious, we are punish because we haven't sacrified motherhood for career. She lived that before. Now it is my turn (even is no one has the respect to actually tell me if I would have had the position otherwise or not.They found the perfect excuse without having to justify themselves. Not talking about the fact my co-worker who shown no interest at first for the position had the deal done within 24hrs. But she is not a mum)

So because I am a mum, I am stuck to the botton of the working scale. As I have an old contract and never had a rise, my salary is less than a person who has just been hired.

Not fair? Make the person feels workless? True!

In fact society is full of hypocrites, it wants to make people beleive they can have it all but the only thing is, to them, woman with children should be home and not at work.

A month later

Yes, it has been already a month I am back to work. It is weird as it felt like I never left.
Lots of good things happened this month. I am back to a routine and a social life which is good. But I am still spending time home with my girl!
But I must admit, the Highlight of the Month was Mika's concert in Glasgow. It was AMAZING!!!!
He is a real showman... Two hours of music. Too bad he is not doing another show in the area. I'll go again for sure.

My dream for march is a computer in working order at work (I know I shouldn't put my hope so high).
It is still cold. Winter is really long this year. So I can also hope for a little bit more warm and a nice spring!

O I almost forgot! Last week end, I celabrate my 2 years wedding anniversary... 2 great years with an amazing man and now an amzing little girl...... hummm.... In fact, I don't need more than that

Be true!

Seriously, a working mum as sometimes to face something called : working mum with a sick child.
I am actually in it. Asaldis started nursery which means, virus.... It is a common thing. At the adaptation week, she catched something. She is in for 2 weeks and she is sick again. (she hasn't been sick the first 8 months of her life)
Thursday, she started caughing and sneezing and it went worse suring the weekend. Sunday we went to the out of hours gp and had confirmation she had a virus.
So the question came... "How are we going to do on monday?" As we both have work and has to work. After discussion, we decided I will stay home. I contacted my co-worker and my team lead to let them know.
But surprise this morning (after the fourth sleepless night) Hubby is sick too so He staid home while I finally went to work.
Of course I called home during the day and was worried sick (and sleepless)

The day was what can be called a bad day.
I haven't been paid full
My computer is still not fixed at work
The day at work was not that good
We were stuck in traffic on the way home
My baby is still sick

So tomorrow, I am the one playing the stay at home parent with a sick child with a trip to the GP.

anyone wanna trade? Actually I won't as even sick, my little girl is still the most amazing, beautiful, splendide baby

Back to work

Those 3 words souded terrible to me for days. Not the fact to go back to work but what it means : being away from baby who will go to the nursery.

So, yesterday morning, I woke at 6. After getting ready, I went to say goodbye to a sleepy baby. It was quite emotional.

I arrived at work. The first one I saw was Elisa, my very pregnant friend. Of course, we talked about babies and pregnancy (to avoid those type of conversation, do not put in the same room 2 news parents or a pregnant woman with a new parent)
Then I went upstairs and had a hug by Marc our favorite belgium man.
I received a sms from Graham telling me that everything was ok when he went to the nursery with Asaldis.
I met Lucie. i am going to work with her a lot and went from desk to desk to say Hello to everyone.
I talked to Peter (a new dad) and we talked about babies, daycare.

It was time to go to work except that no computer.... or phone.....

I staid with Lucie before meeting with Bruce for a freshing up of my knowledge. Apparently I didn't need that much.

At lunch time I called the nursery. I surprised myself waiting so long. I was told Asaldis had fun.
I was so happy.

So I had a good lunch and went back to "work"
Still no phone or computer.

I really enjoyed this first day though. it didn't seem that long ago I was there. Maybe because I staid in touch with many persons from work.

I went to pick up Asaldis at the nursery. She was happy to see mummy. A little bit tired but she had a nice day.
I was told everything she did during the day. And they gave me a picture of her they took during the day.

Poor thing was so tired that after a little play, she had diner and went to bed.

Day 2 was also nice.
Still no computer but I put a hand on a laptop. I opened my mailbox top notice that it was still on while I was away so I had 2800 emails.
The good surprise was to find the one which announce the birth of my baby in June.

I called the nursery only once today. Asaldis had a blast. I don't think I'll call tomorrow....

See, we survived and now everything is just rolling

New title

Hello Everyone,

It has been a really long time since the last time I blogged.
My little girl is now 7 months and 3 weeks and will start the nursery next week, while mummy will be back to work.
So this is why there is a new title for this blog.
Also, i wanted to open the blog to more writting not only about my baby. Not that the subject is not fascinationg enough to write pages about but I wanted to do more than juts a blog about my Princess. And I will try to write more often.

Everybody knows there was this terrible earthquake in Haiti less than 2 weeks ago.
The devastation is terrible. Thousands lots their lives, many are missing. Thousands have lost their home and the little on possession they have. They have no food.

Of course, we are asked to give money to charities to help them. Like each time there is a tragedy.
The tsunami which killed almost 300 000 persons has proved how people can be generous. The Red Cross, MSF and others received millions. Years after, it is a known fact that most of this money are in banks and not in Asia where needed.

Another aspect of charity buisness I find disturbing, it is the Celebrity charity buisness.
Celebrities ask us to give money for different causes. Today it is Haiti.
They are proud to announce they give some money. Of course, $1 000 000 is better than nothing. But can we call it generosity when the person giving this million has a fortune of 2 to 300 millions? Is it the same thing that someone on minimum wage giving $50?
A french football player announced proundly he gave 56.000€ (a little less than $80 000)for Haiti. The journalist who reported the news said that it was 0,55% of his income (incomes are 17 000 000€)
This is not generosity. It is publicity.

Sorry to be so serious but It has to be said

5 months minus 2days

Hello,

I have been really bad writting this blog lately. Nothing to compare to Peter-Sheana-Ethan and their great blog which is updated few times a week.

So what had happened the last 2 months? Many things in Fact. We went to France for holidays. Asaldis had been baptized. Mummy went out alone with her friends leaving Daddy and Asaldis at home. and Asaldis had her first Halloween.

The trip to Nice

A beautiful sunshine was on dunfermline when we left for Nice.
We were a little bit stress as it was the first time we were flying with Asaldis.
We had a baby carrier for the trip as Asaldis had no seat, it was impossible to have the car seat.
Graham's father drove us to the airport.
We ------- our bags. Quite light I must admit but it was the way to France...
Then we had to pass security. It was fun!
With the regulation about liquids and with a baby. It can quite an interesting challenge.
So must have formula. Enough for the trip. Not too much. But enough as they may ask you to test it.
No water to mix the formula so you have to buy some once you pass security
No ready made formula. Of course, the 250mn carton is liquid... (try to mix formula in a plan with a hungry baby on your knees... ) A carton would have been the perfect solution

Asaldis was sleeping in the baby carrier. Fortunatly they let me pass security without taking Asaldis off from the baby carrier. They saw I had formula but didn't ask me to taste it. I might not have the profile of a terrorist!

Then we were waiting for boarding when Asaldis started screaming (everyone's nightmare is a 3 hours flight with a screaming baby) Everyone started to stare at us. Fortunatly she was only hungry and tired. After a bottle and a cuddle, she felt asleep and woke up in Nice. She spent the whole flight sleeping in mummy's arms. The only think I had in mind after the flight was : "CRAMPS"
We arrived in Nice. and it was RAINING! September in Nice!!! We left sunny Scotland for rainy south of france.

We had rain the first week except one day

A friend of mine was suppose to let us a push chair but she played dead for the whole week before our trip despite my emails and messages. She could just have said "sorry it won't be possible" as it would have been fine. But playing dead is quite stupide and imature.
So we had no pushchair. I went on the web "le bon coin" (a kind of gumtree) and found a woman who was selling one a very correct prise and with the rain cover. I called her. We arranged a meeting and we bought the push chair so Asaldis won't be in the baby carrier for 2 weeks. Not that it is not nice but my back won't support it.

The only sunny day, we went to the Russian church. It is the biggest Russian church outside Russia.
The Russian aristocratie was spending lots of time in Nice in the beginning of the XXth century. The Tzar Nicolai II paid to have this church built.

The sunday was also quite sunny (we arrived on monday) But this was a very important day as it was Asaldis'christening.
My family was here. My mum with her husband, my dad with his wife and of course my brother and sister (the godparents)

The church is called Saint-Pierre d'Arenes. My grand parents got married there in 1950.

We were the only one in the church. It is commun in france to have 3 or 4 christenign at the time.
The celebration last 50mn. It was really nice. Asaldis was sleeping in my arms. She just woke when the priest put the holy water on her forehead but she felt asleep quite fast after.

The following day, we were here for a week, Graham had to leave us. unfortunatly, he had to go back as the uni started the very same day. He is dong his second year of law degree part time classes on evening time.
His bag was heavier than on the way to Nice as we bought French books for Asaldis. It is really important to us that Asaldis access both languages easily.

We were staying for one more week.
We met with Eve, the creazy traveller and Francine. It was quite nice.

But I must admit, I was in a hurry to go home. Asaldis missed her dad and I did to.

I was of course with heavier bags on the way back. More books and some toys in French.
To pass security this time, they ask me to take Asaldis off from the baby carrier but I was able to keep my bottle of water.

Two passager of the plane help me with my bag as Asaldis was in my arms.
When I got on the plane, Asaldis started crying. She was simply hungry. The woman seating by my side helped me to mix the formula and once she had eaten, Asaldis felt asleep for the whole journey.
The woman and her husband help me with my bag. They help me also at the baggage claim. I am really thankfull to have met such nice people.
They gave my suitcase to graham who was waiting for his women at the gate. we drove home.
It was nice to be back home and Asaldis was happy to see her daddy and her home.

The pictures can be seen on my flickr page like always (I am better putting picture on flickr than blogging)

I will tell about Carina's birthday and Halloween in the next blog. I promise, it will be really soon

It is amazing how time flies.

Asaldis is now more than 3 months-old. She is growing really well.
She is smiling most of the day. She loves mummy's singing, daddy's stories.

She sleeps now in her bedroom. The first nights were hard (for us not for her). Little by little we got used to the fact she is no longer sleeping in our room. We have the baby monitor to hear her. But I suspect myself to have a kind of a radar as I don't hear noise from the street but I heard any noise from her bedroom. I go to have a look each time I hear something(also when i don't hear anything) but she is always sleeping like an angel.
She started sleeping through the night almost all the time for the last 3 weeks.
The first time was a kind of panic from us. Did she cry and we haven't heard her. No she simply slepy throught the night and woke up with a huge smile on her face.

Now we have a kind of a routine for the day. We love being together.
I am thinking sometime that in france i would have been back to work when she was 10 weeks-old. how cruel!
I enjoy every minute with her.

Some of her clothes are too small now. I had to go and buy more pyjamas.
I have plenty of bigger clothes for her. She is always well dressed and really really cute

Next week end, it is her christening. A really important day for us. I will write about it.

have a nice day